On the morning of July 23, 1995, Alan Hale looked through his telescope at a familiar star cluster in Sagittarius and saw a fuzzy object that hadn't been there two weeks earlier. Unwittingly, he had discovered an immense new comet -- later christened Hale-Bopp -- whose spectacular passage through the solar system in the spring of 1997 confirmed it as one of the greatest comets of the century.The story of Comet Hale-Bopp is just one of many told in Great Balls of Ice, Alan Hale's fascinating portrayal of the one hundred most important comets of the 20th century. These are not only the biggest and the brightest comets, but also those that have helped us to better understand these mysterious visitors from deep space. Entries include:
-- The Tunguska Event -- In 1908, an extraterrestrial object only 260 feet in diameter exploded over central Russia with a force 2,000 times greater than the atomic bombs dropped in World War II.
-- Comet Halley -- Appearing once in a lifetime, and twice in the 20th century, this famous comet caused widespread panic in 1910 and incredible science in 1986
-- Comet Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 -- A mysterious comet whose bizarre outbursts have baffled astronomers for years.
-- Comet Oterma -- Strongly affected by Jupiter's gravitational pull, the changes in this comet's orbit provide a prime example of chaos theory.Great Balls of Ice also includes chapters on the physical nature of comets, where they come from, their impact on Earth, what we can look forward to in the next century, and much more. A comprehensive guide to the most notable comets of our time, Great Balls of Ice is an essential resource for all night sky watchers.
- ISBN10 0716737647
- ISBN13 9780716737643
- Publish Date 1 August 2000
- Publish Status Cancelled
- Publish Country US
- Imprint W.H.Freeman & Co Ltd
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 289
- Language English