United States
£ GBP
Cometography is a multi-volume catalog of every comet observed throughout history. It uses the most reliable orbits known to determine the distances from the Earth and Sun at the time a comet was discovered and last observed, as well as the largest and smallest angular distance to the Sun, most northerly and southerly declination, closest distance to the Earth, and other details to enable the reader to understand the physical appearance of each well-observed comet. Volume 5 provides a complete discussion of the observations and pertinent calculations for every comet seen between 1960 and 1982. The comets are listed in chronological order, with complete references to publications relating to each comet and physical descriptions of each comet's development throughout its apparition. 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.
- Introduction
- Acknowledgements
- Catalog of comets
- Appendix 1. Uncertain objects
- Appendix 2. Periodical abbreviations
- Index
Gary Kronk has held a life-long passion for astronomy, and has been researching historical information on comets ever since sighting Comet Kohoutek in 1973/74. His work has been published in numerous magazines, and in two previous books: Comets: A Descriptive Catalog (1984) and Meteor Showers: A Descriptive Catalog (1988). Kronk holds positions in various astronomical societies, including Coordinator of the Comet Section of the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers, and Consultant for the American Meteor Society. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) named minor planet 48300 Kronk, in honor of the extensive research Gary Kronk has done in cometography. Maik Meyer has observed comets since 1987. Besides comet observing, he is researching cometary orbits in order to link and identify historic comet apparitions. His speciality area is the history of comet hunting. In 2002, he discovered the Meyer group of sunskirting comets. Meyer was leader of the Comet Section of the German Vereinigung der Sternfreunde and serves as assistant editor of the International Comet Quarterly (ICQ). The International Astronomical Union (IAU) named minor planet 52005 Maik, in honor of his research work in comets.
