Great comet of 1577, illustration. The Great Comet of 1577 passed close to the Earth and was visible all over Europe. It was exceptionally bright and had a lengthy tail. Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe observed the comet and compared its position with other astronomers in Europe, deducing that it must be at least four times further away than the Moon. This discovery firmly established comets as celestial bodies unrelated to our planet, traveling above the atmosphere.