Visually Observing Comets

Part I Introducing Comets
1 Comets Throughout History
2 Comets in Motion
3 Toward the Modern Understanding of Comets
4 The Formation of Tails
5 The Origin of Comets
6 A Reservoir of Comets!

Part II The Role of Visual Comet Observers in the Age of CCDs
7 The Value of Visual Observing in a Photo-Happy World
8 Visual Comet Hunting
9 Observing Known Comets
10 The Coma: How to Estimate Its Brightness
and Record Its Features
11 Observing the Tails of Comets: What to Look For and Record
12 Recording and Reporting Your Observations

Part III The Nuts and Bolts of Comet Observing
13 Relatively Bright Comets Predicted to Return from 2016 to 2027
14 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann, an “Outbursting” Comet to Watch
15 Some Prominent Visual Comet Discoverers
16 The Kreutz Sungrazing Comet Group:
A Special Opportunity for Visual Comet Hunters?
17 Numbered Observable Short-Period Comets
18 Unnumbered Short-Period Comets

Appendix A: Atmospheric Extinction Tables
Appendix B: The Phase Angle of a Comet
Appendix C: “Lost” Short-Period Comets
Appendix D: Lunar Phases 2017–2027
Glossary of Terms
Author Index
Subject Index