02/06/2026
Take a look at this striking watercolour from our collection: a night sky alive with stars, a vast comet blazing overhead, and—down below—two tiny figures beneath the trees. What are they thinking? 👀
The artist of this dreamy work is Edward Backhouse—a Quaker preacher and historian. Backhouse observed this spectacle from Hexham, in Northumberland. The comet is the spectacular Donati's Comet—one of the most beautiful and widely seen comets of the 19th century.
First spotted on on this day in 1858 by Giovanni Donati, it reached its peak in October, when it swept past Earth trailing an enormous, glowing tail—just as you see here.
Public fascination with comets was already running high at this time. A year earlier, inaccurate calculations by John Russell Hind had sparked fears—especially in Paris—that a comet might collide with Earth. Thankfully, Donati’s Comet brought wonder rather than catastrophe, becoming the most observed comet of its century.
And if you’re wondering when you might catch it yourself… you’ll need to be patient. Its orbit brings it back roughly every 2,000 years. Who will be standing under the stars next time? 💫
