The Wasp — October 4, 1879 — page 2: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Now That the Come(it) Does Go It" This October 4, 1879 *Wasp* cartoon satirizes a comet sighting through a telescope. The silhouetted figures observe what appears to be a comet in the night sky, with the caption making a pun: "come(it)" suggests the comet is finally arriving or appearing as predicted. The satire likely mocks either: - Failed astronomical predictions about a comet's visibility or trajectory - Public excitement or anxiety about celestial events - Charlatan astronomers or false scientific claims circulating in San Francisco The figures with telescopes represent observers trying to witness the phenomenon. The joke plays on unfulfilled expectations—the comet wasn't visible when predicted, but "now that [it] does go it," people can finally see it. This reflects 19th-century public fascination with astronomy mixed with skepticism about expert predictions.