Cover of How Did We Find Out About Comets?
Book 162 Astronomy 1975
Our Federal Union Science Past—Science Future
1 spaceship-and-sun
Asimov fan
3 spaceships-and-suns
Target reader

Comets

Beauties of the Night

To the ancient Greeks, comets were “aster kometes” or hairy stars. To the superstitious, they were signs of bad times ahead. And to the modern day astronomer—who knows what makes comets different from planets and stars is that they return again and again—these nomads of the solar system remain a puzzle to be tracked and a mystery to be solved.

A good book on comets for younger readers which appeared just in time to talk about Comet Kohoutek’s disappointing appearance and rather too early to moan about Comet Halley’s disappointing reappearance in 1986. Still, it covers the basics: comets anciently, Newton and Halley, and what comets are. The book is too early to take advantage of the information gathered about Comet Halley in ’86, of course, but that’s a minor problem all things considered.

Adult readers, on the other hand, have an infinite variety of books by Asimov better geared for their needs covering the same material, including, of course Asimov’s Guide to Halley’s Comet.

HTML Comment Box is loading comments...