Great Comets [Paperback]

Robert Burnham (Author), David H. Levy (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 8, 2000

Spectacular and mysterious objects that come and go in the night sky, comets have dwelt in our popular culture for untold ages. As remnants from the formation of the Solar system, they are objects of key scientific research and space missions. As one of nature's most potent and dramatic dangers, they pose a threat to our safety--and yet they were the origin of our oceans and perhaps even life itself. This beautifully illustrated book tells the story of the biggest and most awe-inspiring of all comets: those that have earned the title "Great." Robert Burnham focuses on the Great comets Hyakutake in 1996 and Hale-Bopp in 1997, which gripped attention worldwide because, for many, they were the first comets ever seen. He places these two recent comets in the context of their predecessors from past ages, among them the famous Comet Halley. Great Comets explains the exciting new discoveries that have come from these magnificent objects and profiles the spaceprobes to comets due for launch in the next few years. The book even takes a peek behind Hollywood's science-fiction fantasies to assess the real risks humanity faces from potential impacts of both comets and asteroids. For everyone interested in astronomy, this exciting book reveals the secrets of the Great Comets and provides essential tools for keeping up to date with comet discoveries in the future. Robert Burnham has been an amateur astronomer since the mid-1950s. He has been a senior editor of Astronomy magazine (1986-88) and is the author of many books and CD-ROMS, including Comet Hale-Bopp: Find and Enjoy the Great Comet and Comet Explorer.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...lavishly illustrated, with images of great comets Hyakutake and Hale-Bopp, taken by both amateur and professional astrophotographers during the comets' 1996 and 1997 flybys." Booklist

"...the color images, most of which were taken by very sophisticated amateurs, are very handsome indeed...lively and accurate text... you'll benefit from this brief introduction to the history, nature and beauty of comets. I can recommend this volume as an easy, quick, and thoroughly enjoyable read." Meteoritics and Planetary Science

"Science writer Robert Burnham takes us on a broad-ranging safari across the entire landscape of comets in Great Comets... [Burnham's] well-illustrated and -researched book... [is] an enjoyable read, accessible to the general reader." s/ Sky & Telescope

"From Burnham's distinguished amateur-astronomy career, and his stint as editor-in-chief of the popular glossy magazine 'Astronomy,' one can predict a book that is interestingly and clearly written, well illustrated, and with some non-technical but wide-ranging descriptions of scientific results. These predictions are well met in the published book...Burnham's book provides an overview of comet observation accessible to every reader, with enough indications of the science involved to show the vitality of the research. I can therefore recommend it to a wide range of readers." Nature

"This book is an accessible, up-to-date summary of what we know about comets and how we have come to know it, with particular emphasis on the few most spectacular such apparitions in history...a very fine book." Science Books and Films

"Great Comets is richly illustrated with color photographs taken by professional and amateur astronomers, interplanetary probes, and the Hubble Space Telescope. The reader does not need an astronomical background to appreciate the book. The prose is easy to follow and the beautiful photographs inspire a greater appreciation of these interplanetary wanderers." Astronomy

"...an enjoyable read, acessible to the general reader. Sky & Telescope

Book Description

This beautifully illustrated book tells the story of the biggest and most awe-inspiring of all comets: those that have earned the title 'Great'. It focuses on Great Comets Hyakutake and Hale-Bopp, which gripped attention world-wide in 1996 and 1997. For everyone interested in astronomy, this exciting book reveals the secrets of the Great Comets and their impact on science and human culture. It surveys comet-bound space missions and provides essential tools for keeping up-to-date with comet discoveries in the future.

Product Details

• Paperback: 238 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 1st edition (May 8, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521646006
• ISBN-13: 978-0521646000
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 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: #2,820,993 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have book on comets, February 9, 2002

By 

Jeff Kanipe (Dallas, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Great Comets (Paperback)

All comets are great, but some are greater than others, as are book about comets, and this is one of those. If you've ever seen any of the celebrated comets of the past -- Ikeya-Seki, West, or Hale-Bopp -- or if you hope to someday, I sincerely recommend Great Comets. It's a great (there's that word again) resource that serves not only to remind us of why we find comets visually compelling, but how important they are in helping astronomers understand the evolution of the solar system and the role they may have played in Earth's life origins. It also features some great (oops!) beautiful comet photos. An excellent reference, too, on upcoming comet missions. Bravo!