Prague, Czechoslovakia — 24 April 1874
Dazzling white object in front of the moon
Professor Schafarik observed “an object of so peculiar a character that I do not know what to make of it.” He was observing the three-quarter moon at about 3:30 in the afternoon in bright sunshine, using a 4-inch achromatic telescope by Dancer with power 66, field 34 minutes of arc, when: “I was surprised by the apparition, on the disc of the moon, of a dazzling white star, which travelled slowly from E.S.E. to W.N.W and after leaving the bright disc, shone on the deep blue sky like Sirius or Vega in daylight and fine air. The star was quite sharp and without a perceptible diameter.”
Source: Notes and Queries, 17 April 1875. London Times of 5 October 1877 gives the name of the witness as Mr. Picton Jones. 489. Case: W441