Comet Science
Comet Science
Thérèse Encrenaz, Observatoire de Paris, Meudon
Stephen Lyle
Roger Maurice Bonnet
CAD$74.95
This book provides a comprehensive overview of our current knowledge of comets. It presents a fascinating survey of the study of comets throughout history, from antiquity to the present day, and includes the most recent discoveries on the exceptional comets Hale-Bopp and Hyakutake. The authors discuss the role of comets in the formation of our Solar System and describe the links among comets, asteroids and the recently discovered Kuiper-belt objects. The book also includes new insights into the composition and nature of cometary nuclei, with results from the most up-to-date observation techniques. Written in a clear and lively style, and beautifully illustrated, this book will appeal to anyone interested in comets and astronomy, professionals and amateurs alike. It will be of particular interest to students and researchers in astronomy, astrophysics and planetary science, as well as general readers with a good background in physics.
- Contains results from the exceptional comets Hyakutake and Hale-Bopp and from new astronomical techniques
- Beautifully illustrated and written in clear and lively style
- Includes new insights into the composition and nature of cometary nuclei
Reviews & endorsements
"Colour images, detailed figures and informative tables enliven this accessible introduction to the dirty snowball remnants of the birth of our planetary system. Comet Science by Jacques Crovisier and Therese Encrenaz spans the range from historical drawings to spacecraft investigations, from visual images to infrared and radio maps and spectra, and from old favorites like Comet Halley to new ones like Comet Hale-Bopp." New Scientist
"...is a solid, broad overview of all aspects of cometary science. The real value of Comet Science lies in its methodical approach to describing comets and the forces and processes involved in their origin and evolution." Sky & Telescope
"an enjoyable read, accessible to the general reader". Sky & Telescope Oct 2001
Product details
March 2000Paperback
9780521645911
187 pages
246 × 190 × 14 mm
0.545kg
67 b/w illus. 36 colour illus. 11 tables
Temporarily unavailable - available from TBC
Table of Contents
- 1. The history of the comets
- 2. What is a comet?
- 3. Visual observations
- 4. Visible and ultraviolet spectroscopy
- 5. The 1986 exploration of comet Halley
- 6. New techniques: infrared and radio
- 7. Cometary nuclei and their activity
- 8. The collision of comet Shoemaker-Levy and Jupiter
- 9. The nature of comets
- 10. Comets and the history of the solar system
- 11. The future of cometary research.
