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Patrick Moore - Guide To Comets (2nd Hand Hardback)
SKU B001584
Availability:
1 available
Original price
£2.20
-
Original price
£2.20
Original price
£2.20
£2.20
-
£2.20
Current price
£2.20
Synopsis
A highly informative account of those elusive visitors from space that have mystified man for many centuries.
Past civilisations considered comets to be harbingers of disaster or omens of divine intent; military successes and failures were often attributed to the appearance of a comet over the battle field. And in 1456, Pope Calistus III was said to have excommunicated a comet (later charted by and named after Edmond Halley) as an agent of the devil!
Patrick Moore sets out by explaining the basic structure of a comet and its relation to the rest of the solar system, describing the effects that the planets - especially Jupiter - can have on comets' orbits. The author indicates that anyone with keen eyesight can become a comet hunter, and may be able to contribute information about position, orbit, brightness and periodicity.
The book also describes the famous comets of the past: Halley's comet, the first comet to be recognised as periodical; Biela's comet, which split in two and dissolved into a shower of shooting stars; and the recent crop of comets such as Bennett's, Arend-Roland, Ikeyi-Seki, West's, and the great comet disappointment of 1973-4 - Kohoutek.
The book is illustrated with explanatory diagrams and photographs, and includes tables of the known periodic comets and a glossary of terms. It will be invaluable for both the amateur astronomer and the casual viewer of the night sky.
Details
- Format : Standard Slim 2nd Hand Hardback.
- Condition : Good (Solid, complete & clean, no damage or damp, but there is a very slight "old book whiff")
- Category : Non-Fiction - Geography, Earth Sciences & Space
- Published : 1977 (Butterworth Press - Revised & Updated)
- ISBN : 071882315x / 9780718823153
- SKU : B001584
- PPC : LL350gm
- RRP : £4.50
- Quantity Available : 1 only.
External Reviews
None currently available.
The Author
Sir Patrick Alfred Caldwell-Moore CBE HonFRS FRAS was an English amateur astronomer who attained prominence in that field as a writer, researcher, radio commentator and television presenter, primarily through his long running The Sky at Night BBC series.