Cometography: Volume 1, Ancient-1799: A Catalog of Comets (Hardcover)

~ Gary W. Kronk (Author) "During a search through Babylonian stone tablets at the British Museum, Hermann Hunger identified two references to a comet reported to an Assyrian king..." (more)
Key Phrases: maximum solar elongation, minimum solar elongation, similar parabolic orbits, Nihon Temmon Shiryo, Hsin T'ang, Samguk Sagi (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...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

"...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

"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

"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

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

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

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

"...a valuable reference for scientists and historians in many fields." Choice --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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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.com Sales Rank: #2,633,284 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 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 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.