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Events on Wednesday 2 June 1858 1
1858Donati's Comet dazzles observers worldwideBrightest comet of the 19th century becomes the first comet ever photographedItalian astronomer Giovanni Battista Donati discovered the comet in June 1858, and it grew visible to the naked eye across Europe and North America by autumn. It was the first comet ever photographed and inspired numerous paintings of the era. The comet is not expected to return for roughly two thousand years.