The year 1770 in
science and
technology involved some significant events.
Astronomy
July 1 –
Lexell's Comet passes closer to the Earth than any other
comet in recorded history, approaching to a distance of 0.015
AU. It is observed by
Charles Messier between June 14 and October 3.[1]
April 18 (April 19 by Cook's log)[2] – Captain Cook and his crew become the first recorded Europeans to encounter the eastern coastline of the
Australian continent.
April 28 (April 29 by Cook's log) – Captain Cook drops anchor in a wide bay about 16 km (10 mi) south of the present city of
Sydney, Australia. Because the young
botanist on board the ship,
Joseph Banks, discovers 30,000 specimens of plant life in the area, 1,600 of them unknown to European science, Cook names the place
Botany Bay on May 7.