Comet of the Century: From Halley to Hale-Bopp [Hardcover]

Fred Schaaf (Author), G. Ottewell (Illustrator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0387947930 | ISBN-13: 978-0387947938 | Publication Date: November 26, 1996 | Edition: 1

The present century has been a disappointing one for comets, but past centuries often featured spectacular, unforgettable comet shows that dominated the night (and even daytime) sky for months: comets that outshone Venus or even the Moon, whose spectacular tails stretched more than halfway across the sky or were weirdly split, and whose apparition was held responsible for everything from wars to unusually good wine vintages. Published to coincide with the first naked-eye appearance of Comet Hale-Bopp, perhaps our own comet of the century, this book is an irresistible guide to comet facts and lore throughout history.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Schaaf has written an accurate and very readable introduction to comets. -- Donald K. Yeomans, author of The Official Halley Handbook and Comets: A Chronological History of Observation, Science, Myth and Folklore

This excellent book covers the entire spectrum of comets in language that is easily read by anyone. -- Gary W. Kronk, author of Comets: A Descriptive Catalog and Cometographia

About the Author

Fred Schaaf is a well-known amateur astronomer, a Contributing Editor of Sky & Telescope, and the author of several books, including The Starry Room, Seeing the Sky, Seeing the Solar System, and, with Guy Ottewell, Mankind's Comet, a book about the 1985 visit of Halley's Comet.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Springer; 1 edition (November 26, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0387947930
• ISBN-13: 978-0387947938
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,812,161 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book on comets, June 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Comet of the Century: From Halley to Hale-Bopp (Hardcover)

Don't be fooled by the title. True, this book was inspired by Comet Hale-Bopp, which has come and gone, but it's really about comets in general--only three of the fifteen chapters are about Hale-Bopp--so this book is still worth reading. The author discusses what comets are, how comets have figured in history, how they form, and the wonders of great comets like Halley's . The author has a lively, friendly style that readily communicates his enthusiasm for the subject. That, plus the clear and substantial writing, make this book a joy to read. He does for comets what Ken Croswell's book PLANET QUEST does for extrasolar planets. Highly recommended--even if you can't see Hale-Bopp any more.

5.0 out of 5 stars Much more than Hale-Bopp, March 22, 2002

By 

Horace Smith (East Lansing, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Comet of the Century: From Halley to Hale-Bopp (Hardcover)

Although written with the then forthcoming appearance of
comet Hale-Bopp in mind, this book well repays reading now
that Hale-Bopp has left the inner solar system. The accounts
of prior comets, laced with the authors personal experiences,
were fascinating. I hope that a great comet of the 21st century
appears, so that Schaaf can update this book and include a
report on his observations of Hale-Bopp to match those he
gives of comet Hyakutake.

4.0 out of 5 stars Mostly a fizzle, June 19, 1998

By 

Lenore S. Schellinger "linn556" (Humble, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Comet of the Century: From Halley to Hale-Bopp (Hardcover)

Having read this book after the fact, I didn't get to experience the anticipation that the author so obviously felt about the impending arrival of Hale-Bopp. As far as I could tell (and admittedly I am no astronomer), Hale-Bopp was not really spectacular. I did see it on the western horizon a couple of times, and it was interesting but not particularly exciting. Reading the tales of other comets was much more fun for me. I heard my grandmother talk about the 1910 appearance of Halley's Comet, and how it frightened so many people. Her father was a Lutheran minister, and many of his congregation came to him asking if it was the end of the world. His answer was, "If it is the end of the world, there's nothing we can do about. I'm going to bed. Good-night." Even though we know so much more about comets nowadays, they are still a frightening phenomenon for many people, and some even go crazy. Witness the suicide cult in California who thought a spaceship would be accompanying Hale-Bopp especially to pick them up! But even though Hale-Bopp was a dud (at least for the layperson), I think this book is very enlightening for the historical perspective. The author's enthusiasm for his subject makes his writing very entertaining, and he doesn't bore the average person with technical jargon and erudition.