The present century has been a disappointing one for comets, but past centuries often featured spectacular, unforgettable comet shows that dominated the night (and even daytime) sky for months: comets that outshone Venus or even the Moon, whose spectacular tails stretched more than halfway across the sky or were weirdly split, and whose apparition was held responsible for everything from wars to unusually good wine vintages. Published to coincide with the first naked-eye appearance of Comet Hale-Bopp, perhaps our own "comet of the century", this book is a guide to comet facts and lore throughout history.

The ideal book for the amateur astronomer or anyone curious about our place in the universe, "A Year of the Stars" takes the reader on a fascinating journey of discovery through the seasons of the starry night sky. Complete with beautiful maps, drawings, photos, and a very useful glossary, this is the perfect book for savouring the experience of skywatching the whole year through.

Overview xiii COMETS IN PERSON 1 A Comet Passes 3 COMETS IN GENERAL 2 Anatomy of a Ghost 27 3 Dirty Snowballs and the Nurseries of Leviathans 51 4 The Spectacular Deaths of Comets 61 5 Swords of Damocles 86 6 Observing and Discovering Comets 110 HALLEY AND THE SHORT PERIOD COMETS 7 Halley and Its Periodic Kin 133 8 Through the Ages with Halley's Comet 157 COMETS WILD 9 What Makes a Comet Great? 197 10 The Comets Before 1700 204 11 The Comets from 1700 to 1995 229 vii viii COMET OF THE CENTURY THE LATEST GREATS 12 The Grand Approach of Comet Hale-Bopp 273 13 Hyakutake Lightning 291 14 A Narrative Calendar for Observing Hale-Bopp 305 15 Comet of the Century 328 Appendix A: Periodic Comet Numbers 331 Appendix B: Great Comets in History 335 AppendixC: Closest Comets in History 339 Appendix D: Celestial Coordinates 344 Appendix E: Orbital Elements 346 Appendix F: Comet Brightness Formula and Estimating Brightness 348 AppendixG: How to Report a Comet Discovery 351 AppendixH: Ephemeris for Comet Hale-Bopp 354 Glossary 359 Sources of Information 367 Credits 371 Generaiindex 373 Comet Index 381 PRtl7ACt This book may be loaded with a richness of facts, but what it's about, through and through, is simple and blazing: the way comets, throughout history, and up to the present, have stirred the human spirit.

"Fred Schaaf is one of the most experienced astronomical observers of our time. For more than two decades, his view of the sky--what will be visible, when it will be visible, and what it will look like--has encouraged tens of thousands of people to turn their eyes skyward."
--David H. Levy, Science Editor, "Parade" magazine, discoverer of twenty-one comets, and author of "Starry Night and Cosmic Discoveries"

"Fred Schaaf is a poet of the stars. He brings the sky into people's lives in a way that is compelling, and his descriptions have all the impact of witnessing the stars on a crystal clear dark night."
--William Sheehan, coauthor of "Mars: The Lure of the Red Planet" and "The Transits of Venus"

The night sky holds endless fascination for anyone who chooses simply to look up and observe, but with so much to see, it can be difficult to know where to start. This remarkable book introduces you to the fifty best sights in astronomy and tells you exactly how to see them. In no time at all, you will learn how to find and appreciate the Orion group of constellations; the Summer Triangle; Venus, Jupiter, and Mars; the best meteor showers; man-made satellites; star clusters; novae; variable stars; and more.

The sights are presented according to the field of view necessary to see them. Your eyes and a clear night sky are all you need to view the sights in the first part of the book, before moving on to those that can be observed through binoculars and, finally, a telescope. Concise descriptions and explanations of these spectacular visual wonders will deepen your appreciation of them and spur further exploration. You will also find the essential basic information onastronomical observation you need to get started, including observing conditions, techniques, telescopes, and astronomical measurements.

Once you start gazing, you'll see that the sky really is the limit--and discovering its amazing treasures will become your lifetime passion.