Comets, Popular Culture, And The Birth Of Modern Cosmology

In a lively investigation into the boundaries between popular culture and early-modern science, Sara J. Schechner delineates the evolution of the popular understanding of comets. She examines how "vulgar superstitions" were nonetheless absorbed into the science of Newton and Halley and became part of the foundation on which modern cosmology was built. "Comet literature is extensive, but to the best of my knowledge no previous work has quite the grasp of this one. There are some books dealing with restricted subjects that seem certain to become standard references for many years to come. This is one, and it ,should be in every serious scientific library." - Patrick Moore, The Times Higher Education Supplement "A work of serious scholarship that is rich in fascinating material... Judiciously selected quotations and 53 illustrations, some exceptionally striking, add to the pleasure of reading this very engaging story, which is filled with surprises, ironies, and fresh insights." - Michael J. Crowe, Physics Today "Beautifully illustrated, full of fascinating quotations, and blessed with 126 pages of notes and references. I enjoyed it immensely." - David W. Hughes, Observatory "[This book] is accurate, comprehensive, and should make an important contribution to the history of astronomy." - Donald Yeomans, Sky & Telescope