I went to Newport. In the afternoon Julia went to Newport Mr. J H and Miss Dore home with her. We saw the comet* for the first time.
*This would have been Donati’s Comet one of the brightest and most visible comets of the 19th century; it was discovered by Giovanni Donati on June 2, 1858, brightened to magnitude -1 in September 1858, reached perihelion on September 30, came closest to Earth (0.5 AU) on October 9, and was last seen on March 4, 1859. Around the time of closest approach the Earth, the comet developed a prominent dust tail, up to 60° long and curved like a scimitar, for which it is best remembered.
Donati’s Comet was the first comet to be photographed. It was nearest the Earth on October 10, 1858 and is expected to return in the 39th century.