The Greatest Comets in History Broom Stars and Celestial Scimitars

Comets have fascinated and awed humankind since ancient times. Of the thousands of comets recorded throughout history, those deemed to have been the most spectacular have been described in the accounts of eyewitnesses and often recorded in official documents. This book introduces you to the greatest...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Seargent, David A.J.
Format: eBook
Language:English
Published: New York, NY Springer New York 2009, 2009
Edition:1st ed. 2009
Series:Astronomers' Universe
Subjects:
Online Access:
Collection: Springer eBooks 2005- - Collection details see MPG.ReNa
LEADER 02643nmm a2200301 u 4500
001 EB000353579
003 EBX01000000000000000206631
005 00000000000000.0
007 cr|||||||||||||||||||||
008 130626 ||| eng
020 |a 9780387095134 
100 1 |a Seargent, David A.J. 
245 0 0 |a The Greatest Comets in History  |h Elektronische Ressource  |b Broom Stars and Celestial Scimitars  |c by David A.J. Seargent 
250 |a 1st ed. 2009 
260 |a New York, NY  |b Springer New York  |c 2009, 2009 
300 |a XX, 260 p. 47 illus., 8 illus. in color  |b online resource 
505 0 |a The Nature of Comets -- Halley#x2019;s Comet Through the Ages -- The Greatest Comets of Ancient Times -- The Greatest Comets from A.D. 1000 to 1800 -- The Greatest Comets from 1800 to Present Times -- Kamikaze Comets: The Kreutz Sungrazers -- Daylight Comets 
653 |a Astronomy / Observations 
653 |a Astronomy, Cosmology and Space Sciences 
653 |a Astronomy, Observations and Techniques 
653 |a Astronomy 
041 0 7 |a eng  |2 ISO 639-2 
989 |b Springer  |a Springer eBooks 2005- 
490 0 |a Astronomers' Universe 
028 5 0 |a 10.1007/978-0-387-09513-4 
856 4 0 |u https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-09513-4?nosfx=y  |x Verlag  |3 Volltext 
082 0 |a 520 
520 |a Comets have fascinated and awed humankind since ancient times. Of the thousands of comets recorded throughout history, those deemed to have been the most spectacular have been described in the accounts of eyewitnesses and often recorded in official documents. This book introduces you to the greatest of the greats, starting with the comet in 372 B. C. called "Aristotle’s Comet" and ending with the spectacular appearance of McNaught’s Comet in 2007. There is an introductory chapter explaining what comets are and how they are classified, and correcting a few popular misconceptions. Later in the book you will read about the different returns of Halley’s Comet and the Kreutz sungrazing group, often called the kamikaze comets. There is even a chapter on comets that were visible in broad daylight. This book is unique. There are a few books on comets that make passing reference to some of the more famous or spectacular objects of the past, and a few catalogs with long lists of comets. But little detailed and descriptive information is contained in either of these sources. This is a fascinating account, not only for astronomers at every level but also for readers of popular science. In an engaging way it pulls together a vast amount of information and offers rich anecdotal material that will entertain as well as inform you