The Great Comet of 1861 visible to the naked eye over North America and Europe

John Tebbutt, an Australian sheep farmer and amateur astronomer in Windsor, New South Wales, discovered "the Great Comet of 1861" approaching Earth.  One of only eleven comets designated "Great" during the nineteenth century, it was disinctive for its angle of approach which had the Earth actually passing through a portion of its tail.  The comet became visible to the naked eye in the northern hemisphere on June 30, 1861 and remained so until mid-August, passing within 13 million miles.  (By John Osborne)