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

Description

Cometography is the most complete and comprehensive collection of data on comets available. It comes in four self-contained sequential volumes and this, the first, covers ancient times through to the end of the eighteenth century. Cometography uses the most reliable orbits known to determine all the key parameters of each well observed comet. Cometography also provides nontechnical details to help the reader understand how the comet may have influenced various cultures at the time of its appearance. All the information in Cometography has been sourced directly from the original documents, including European monastic histories, Roman, Greek and Muslim texts, Chinese, Japanese and Korean scripts. In many cases, dates of important historical events can be corrected based on the appearance of a comet and identified using this book. Cometography will be valuable to historians of science as well as providing amateur and professional astronomers with a definitive reference on comets through the ages.

' ... an indispensible references 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.' John E. Bortle, Sky and Telescope ' ... the first of a series of four, which will provide complete descriptions of every comet that has ever been seen and recorded ... The first volume, which covers comets up to 1799, is a treasure trove of information and each entry stands on its own.' The Journal of the British Astronomical Association 'Cometography has been beautifully produced, and it is a thorough, definitive, well referenced, comprehensive, and easily accessible work of scholarship. For historians, scientific or otherwise, this will be a 'first stop' for information about ancient comets. Looking into the future, it will be a rare month that I will not refer to it, and I am looking forward with eager anticipation to the next three volumes.' David W. Hughes, The Observatory ' ... a very impressive work ... anyone who is engaged in research concerning past apparitions of known comets will find the amount of detailed information in the book extremely useful and potentially significant.' Popular Astronomy