Cometography: Volume 1, Ancient-1799: A Catalog of Comets [Hardcover]

Gary W. Kronk (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 28, 1999 | ISBN-10: 052158504X | ISBN-13: 978-0521585040

Cometography is the most complete and comprehensive collection of data on comets available. It comes in four self-contained sequential volumes and this, the first, covers ancient times through to the end of the eighteenth century. Cometography uses the most reliable orbits known to determine all the key parameters of each well observed comet. Cometography also provides nontechnical details to help the reader understand how the comet may have influenced various cultures at the time of its appearance. All the information in Cometography has been sourced directly from the original documents, including European monastic histories, Roman, Greek and Muslim texts, Chinese, Japanese and Korean scripts. In many cases, dates of important historical events can be corrected based on the appearance of a comet and identified using this book. Cometography will be valuable to historians of science as well as providing amateur and professional astronomers with a definitive reference on comets through the ages.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"What he did is phenomenal." Daniel Green, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Daily Guide

"...an indispensable reference for historians, comet researchers, and true enthusiasts of the field...the book's value is inestimable and I can only give [it] my highest praise." Sky & Telescope

"Kronk offers the first of four volumes on cometography; together they will form a catalog of every comet observed throughout history. These volumes are an ambitious project that will be a valuable reference for scientists and historians in many fields." Choice

"...many interesting and scientific results...Cometography is not only a valuable addition to scientists studying comets; it also makes interesting factual reading for amateur and professional astronomers, historians, and nonscientists." Meteoritics & Planetary Science

"This book is highly recommended for any academic or research library." E-Streams

"The principle value of Cometography is the comprehensive list of references for each comet which alone makes it well worth the price. It is sure to become the stnadard cometary reference source and potentially could help form the basis for many research projects...The general reader, amateur astronomer, graduate and reseracher alike will benefit immensely from access to Cometography 2 in addition to the other volumes in the series. Volumes 3 and 4 are soon to be published. Every library with a comet section should invest in the Cometography series. Congratulations to Gary Kronk on a lifetime of scholarly achievement." Contemporary Physics, J. McFarland

Book Description

Cometography is a catalog of every comet observed throughout history. It is the most complete and comprehensive collection of data on comets available. Cometography comes in four self-contained sequential volumes and this, the first, covers ancient times through to the end of the eighteenth century. Cometography provides all the key parameters of each well observed comet as well as non-technical details on how a comet may have influenced various cultures at the time of its appearance. In many cases, dates of important historical events can be corrected based on the appearance of a comet and identified using this book. It will be valuable to historians of science as well as providing amateur and professional astronomers with a definitive reference on comets through the ages.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 579 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (September 28, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 052158504X
• ISBN-13: 978-0521585040
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,426,355 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A treasure trove of information, November 19, 2001

By 

Michael Baxter (LONDON United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cometography: Volume 1, Ancient-1799: A Catalog of Comets (Hardcover)

This book supersedes the first part of Kronk's excellent earlier guide to comets. It offers a complete list of comets and possible cometary sightings up to 1799; for each comet he summarises the available observations. The author has made extensive searches through Chinese, Babylonian and European sources, many of which are hard to come by. Many of the earlier entries are very short and repetitive, but that's the nature of the scanty observations. He quotes orbital elements whenever they are available; he is undiscriminating here, as many of these elements are so dubious that they are excluded from the standard catalogues. The nature of the observations changes dramatically over time, from quaint references to broom stars to careful telescopic observations by great observers like Messier and Herschel. It will be interesting to see if Kronk can keep up the same standard in later volumes when more recent comets, observed with ever more sophisticated equipment and even space probes, must be discussed.