Tebbutt, John (1834-1916) was an Australian astronomer who pioneered the study of astronomy in Australia. During his career, Tebbutt discovered two comets. The first was C/1861 J1, sighted in 1861. This comet was also known as the Great Comet of 1861 and, later, as Comet Tebbutt. The second was C/1881 K1, sighted in 1881. That comet was also known as the Great Comet of 1881; and, like Tebbutt’s first discovery, it was later called Comet Tebbutt. Tebbutt earned recognition and honors from scientific societies in many countries for his astronomical achievements.
John Tebbutt was born on May 25, 1834, in Windsor, near Sydney, New South Wales. He began recording the movement of stars when he was 19. In 1863, Tebbutt had an observatory built for himself in Windsor. He had additional facilities built nearby in 1879. In 1894, the British Astronomical Society established a chapter in Sydney, and Tebbutt was elected as its first president. By 1908, he had published 371 observations in leading astronomical journals in the United Kingdom and Germany. Tebbutt died on Nov. 29, 1916.
