The Quest for Comets: An Explosive Trail of Beauty and Danger

by David H. Levy

The brilliant trailing beauty of fiery comets has inspired fear, wonder, and awe since the dawn of human history. Brighter than stars, moving and disappearing in their own singular orbits, comets have been among the most mysterious elements in the sky, eluding our understanding until very recently. With the aid of space probes, scientists have discovered that these swiftly moving chunks of ice and carbon are more plentiful and far more dangerous than suspected. Scientists are also beginning to realize the monumental role played by comets in the development of the Earth and solar system. David Levy describes in dramatic detail the thrilling yet often devastating effects of comet collisions. In the dawn of our solar system, the Earth was barraged with comets that may have carried the materials necessary to lay the foundations for life on this planet. Levy also presents compelling evidence for later comet collisions, including those of the age of dinosaurs. Great impacts, Levy asserts, not only caused the extinction of the dinesaurs, but ushered in new species of life. As Levy so clearly explains, scientists are realizing that comet collisions are virtually inevitable. Levy reveals possible future collisions with the Earth and describes the terrible risks to life they would pose. He even shows how we might prepare to withstand the impact of large comets in the future.

304 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1994

About the author

David Levy is a prominent astronomer and author, most famous for his co-discovery in 1993 of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, which collided with the planet Jupiter in 1994.

Levy was born in Canada, but now lives in Arizona. He has been involved with astronomy, as an observer, promoter, and author, for his entire adult life. Levy has discovered twenty two comets, given innumerable lectures, television appearances, and published articles in the major science and astronomy magazines.

He gained a Phd in English literature in 2010. There is an asteroid named in his honour, Levy 3673. He is married to Wendee Levy.

Reviews

[Buddy Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book I've been seeking for a while: one that gives me the POV of a comet hunter. The only criticism I have is that it's a little old. I'll find the equivalent in more recent vintage when possible. Meanwhile, this book lets one go along on the major comet-hunting expeditions of the past 500 years (at least--there is speculation about the finding of comets even before CE). It also gave me something I wanted, which was how one would go about hunting for such dimly lit objects (that is, dimly lit until they burst into everyone's view as they approach perihelion). It's also well-written and very engaging. I would highly recommend it.

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Quest for Comets: An Explosive Trail of Beauty and Danger is a nonfiction book about the history of comets and other celestial objects, the people who discovered them, and the author’s own experiences in comet-hunting. David Levy, the author of this book, explains different things, such as the history of comet hunting throughout the world, how comets and asteroids play a part in Earth’s history, and the possibility of an asteroid or comet hitting the Earth. He even goes into detail about how someone could start comet hunting and the proper tools required to start. I enjoyed how Levy incorporates straight facts and research into his book while still making it personal and interesting to his experiences. The author even shows different pictures of comets that people have taken over the years up until its publication, which is 1994. However, I find that this book was a little too monotonous for me. I like reading about his experiences, but I get a little bored when I read a section where he explains the more technical part of space and objects in it. I give this book a 3 out of 5. This book is best suited for people who are interested in astronomy or want to start hunting for comets. However, this book is very information-heavy about space, so it can get a little tiring to read at moments. Nonetheless, the stories that Levy includes in his book can be fascinating for someone who is curious about the history of the exploration of space.
Something that I learned when reading this book a second time is that comet hunting is a lot harder than I initially thought it was. When I read this book the first time, I understood that getting the materials, setting up the items needed to look for comets, waiting for long periods of time, and tracking the route of a comet are extremely difficult. However, there is a lot more that goes into comet hunting. A comet hunter needs to make sure that the object they see isn’t a reflection of their telescope, just another celestial object, or an already discovered comet. As a result of this, many false alarms are reported, with only a few reports actually being new comets. This is the reason why Levy describes comet hunting as a very competitive sport, even if it doesn’t seem like there is much action going on.

[Preston Pendergraft · Rating 4 out of 5]

While some of the technology is mentioned is out of date, this is still a David Levy book so therefore it is awesome. His writing is just first rate.

[MisterFweem · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review is here:

http://www.misterfweem.blogspot.com/2...

To sum up: I've read better science books. Levy sounds less like a poet/scientist, which is what I like to read, and more like a knowledgeable uncle who keeps on talking long after most everybody's lost interest.