Have you ever seen a comet? It is a marvelous experience, one that all humans can share, that spawns a deep yearning to understand the spectacle. Have you ever wondered what comets are and why astronomers spend so much time studying them? Now, a comet expert and an astronomical historian have come together to produce the unique book that you now hold in your hands. Using their several decades of teaching experience, the authors have concisely presented the information you need to comprehend these majestic apparitions that grace our night skies. No mathematical proficiency is needed, in fact, this book doesn’t contain a single equation!

Comets are cosmic Rosetta stones, bridging our current knowledge by digging back to the earliest days of our Solar Systems. How did life arise on Earth? Did comets play a significant role in bringing water and the necessary organic matter to our early Earth? How about the dinosaurs? Were they driven to extinction by a cometary impact 66 million years ago? Comets may be both the enablers and destroyers of life on Earth as we know it. These are some of the tantalizing questions discussed here.

If you so desire, steps are given to join the ranks of amateur comet hunters. Astronomy is one of the last sciences where amateurs play a significant role. Your reward for discovery? A comet officially bearing your name in the history books! The next Great Comet is on its way, we just do not know when it will arrive. Armed with this book, you will be ready to enjoy this unforgettable event.

Daniel C. Boice, Scientific Studies & Consulting
Daniel C. Boice is the principal astronomer at Scientific Studies & Consulting in San Antonio, TX. His professional activities include over 75 peer-reviewed research papers and several hundred conference reports. In 2000, he became a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Thomas Hockey, University of Northern Iowa
Thomas Hockey is a Professor of Astronomy at the University of Northern Iowa. He has written seven previous books including Galileo's Planet and How We See the Sky. Hockey was Editor-in-Chief of the award-winning Biographical Encyclopaedia of Astronomers.

Introduction
Roller-coaster comets
What comets are all about
Comet crashes
Observing comets
Hunting comets
Postscript
Back matter