Great Comets

by Robert Burnham

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...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0521646006
• ISBN13: 9780521646000
• Release Date: May 2000
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 238 Pages
• Weight: 1.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 7.9" x 9.9"

Customer Reviews

A must-have book on comets

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!