Comets in the Post-Halley Era

Comets in the Post-Halley Era
Author: R.L. Newburn
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 681
Release: 2012-12-06
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9401133786

Comets are always very impressive phenomena. Their appearances at regular, but mostly irregular, times excite people who see them. Astronomers have the obvious advantage of being able to see more of comets, and to study them. Their enthusiasm is reflected in the 50 papers in this book, written by more than 90 experts. The reviews in this book clearly describe a landmark in the history of cometary studies. Knowledge gathered up to and including Comet Halley are presented in two volumes. The first volume is about general aspects of observing and studying comets, where they originate and how their evolution develops. The second volume goes into the details of what a comet is: the nucleus, the coma, cometary dust, plasmas and magnetic fields. The book ends with a reflection by Fred Whipple about Comets in the Post-Halley Era. The book discusses all aspects of comets and is therefore suitable for use in graduate level courses. All astronomers and geophysicists interested in comets will find very useful and well-presented information in this book.

Stargazers

Stargazers
Author: Storm Dunlop
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 254
Release: 2012-12-06
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3642740200

The strong and effective links between amateur and professional astronomers were brought into prominence at Colloquium 98 of the International Astronomical Union. Amateur observations of such objects as comets, variable stars and novae serve to complement work done with expensive instrumentation by professionals. They fill gaps left by big science and often contribute significantly to astronomical knowledge. The book covers: - historical contributions by amateurs, - observational methods, problems and instrumentation, - results of amateur observations, - popularization. Overall, an exciting and enthusiastic account of stargazing, the hobby that can turn into science.