The diminutive size of cometary bodies is in no way proportional to their scientific importance. Theorists suggest that comets played a major role in the development of the Earth and subsequent collosions of comets may have wiped out various life forms, allowing only the most adaptable to develop further. In short, the study of comets is important from a historical perspective, scientifically compelling and, at the same time, entertaining. In this authoritative book, the development of cometary ideas is traced from antiquity through the actual fly-by of Halley by international spacecraft in 1986. The focus is on the cometary theories that were evident in each era. Included are many colorful anecdotes and information about culture and important personalities throughout history. Also contains an exhaustive catalog of all comet apparitions through the year 1700.
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Although they are the smallest bodies in the solar system, comets historically command more public interest than any other astronomic event; in the 17th and 18th centuries in particular, comet study drew together a galaxy of brilliant mathematicians, astronomers, physicists--Newton, Kepler, La Place--and a cast of gifted amateurs. Yeomans, deftly combining that era's science with information from the recent Vega comet probes and often equally intriguing folklore (the comet of 1680 was reputedly predicted by patterns on a chicken egg), achieves a rare balance between rigor and humanity in a science history. Sidebars, diagrams, photos and short biographies propel the reader through 2500 years of the history of astronomy, making this a blazing science book that is lively to look at as well as to read. Yeomans is a staff manager at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Astronomy Book Club main selection.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From the Publisher
The diminutive size of cometary bodies is in no way proportional to their scientific importance. Theorists suggest that comets played a major role in the development of the Earth and subsequent collosions of comets may have wiped out various life forms, allowing only the most adaptable to develop further. In short, the study of comets is important from a historical perspective, scientifically compelling and, at the same time, entertaining. In this authoritative book, the development of cometary ideas is traced from antiquity through the actual fly-by of Halley by international spacecraft in 1986. The focus is on the cometary theories that were evident in each era. Included are many colorful anecdotes and information about culture and important personalities throughout history. Also contains an exhaustive catalog of all comet apparitions through the year 1700.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Reference,
By
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This review is from: Comets: A Chronological History of Observation, Science, Myth, and Folklore (Hardcover)
In my book, "Astronomical Symbols on Ancient and Medieval Coins", I devote an entire chapter to comets that were depicted on medieval coinage as signs of divine right to sovereignty. Several other chapters also refer to the use of cometary symbols on coins as a part of in-depth discussions of various sovereigns.
I have a Ph.D. in astronomy with my thesis dealing with long period cometary orbits. As part of my numismatic research, I supplemented my own knowledge with that of several other sources, and found Yeomans' book to be especially valuable. I highly recommend this book to all who are interested in reading about historical comets. Marshall Faintich
3 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Comets,
A Kid's Review
This review is from: Comets: A Chronological History of Observation, Science, Myth, and Folklore (Hardcover)
Comets where first discovered way back in the time of such scientific scholars like Aristotle and Ptolemy. The book Comets was written by Donald K. Yeomans. In the book he tells you the history on comets and how they have been and are being discovered in space. He also describes the different views of the scientists of the time on comets. An example of a wacky thought of comets was by Aristotle as he thought that comets had something to do with meteorology.
The author also describes how comets impacted societies and time periods. Suck as how Newton viewed the comets of 1607,1618,1652,1664 and 1665. He tied this info into his theory of a heliocentric universe. This book tells you facts on comets also like how Halley's Comet returns roughly about every 70 years. I didn't really enjoy this book because of the fact I am not a big reader and it is basically a book of facts. The book on comets is really a giant fact book compiled for studies. I would recommend this book if you where going to do any type of project or paper on comets but I would not recommend it for the casual reader.
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