Exhibition on famed early astronomer John Tebbutt a school holiday must-see

10 December 2024

An exhibition for those with a curiosity for astronomy and history must close at the end of January at
Hawkesbury Regional Museum in Windsor.

Starry Night: The World of John Tebbutt traces the life and achievements of the renowned 19th century
Hawkesbury astronomer, John Tebbutt, who was not only featured on our first $100 note, but has a moon
crater named after him.

After discovering the Great Comet of 1861 (Tebbutt’s Comet) on 13 May, when he was just 26, John Tebbutt
quickly achieved international recognition and was soon widely considered the foremost astronomer in
Australia.

Tebbutt’s Comet (C/1861 J1) was classified as a long-period comet because it took 409 years to orbit the sun. Tebbutt’s Comet reached perihelion (its closest point to the sun) on June 12 but would not be visible in the Northern Hemisphere until June 30 as it made its closest approach to the earth. At that time, the tail of the comet had become so long and so bright that it cast shadows in the darkness. The comet was visible for three months.

Tebbutt carried out an impressive range of astronomical observations and authored almost 400 publications, all from his observatories in Windsor. He received a Paris Exposition Silver Medal in 1867 in recognition of his paper On the Progress and Present State of Astronomical Science in New South Wales.

Starry Night: The World of John Tebbutt displays many of the scientist’s surviving instruments, which have been generously loaned from the Tebbutt family’s private collection. The physical display builds on the
extensive online exhibition, which will remain live after the exhibition ends.

If you’re visiting the museum, it’s worth taking the short (1.1km) drive or walk to see Tebbutt’s impressive
1879 and 1894 observatory buildings and heritage-listed residence. Though they are the private property of
the Tebbutt family and not open to the public, the picturesque set of buildings can be viewed from Palmer
Street, in Windsor.

The Hawkesbury Library is also holding a drop-in exhibition of Southern Sky Astrophotography comprising
the top entries in the 2023 David Malin Awards until February 2025.

To delve into the world of John Tebbutt, visit the Hawkesbury Regional Museum by 26 January 2025 or check
out our online exhibition.