Visually Observing Comets

Part I. Introducing Comets

1. Comets Throughout History
David A. J. Seargent

2. Comets in Motion
David A. J. Seargent

3. Toward the Modern Understanding of Comets
David A. J. Seargent

4. The Formation of Tails
David A. J. Seargent

5. The Origin of Comets
David A. J. Seargent

6. A Reservoir of Comets!
David A. J. Seargent

Part II. The Role of Visual Comet Observers in the Age of CCDs

7. The Value of Visual Observing in a Photo-Happy World
David A. J. Seargent

8. Visual Comet Hunting
David A. J. Seargent

9. Observing Known Comets
David A. J. Seargent

10. The Coma: How to Estimate Its Brightness and Record Its Features
David A. J. Seargent

11. Observing the Tails of Comets: What to Look For and Record
David A. J. Seargent

12. Recording and Reporting Your Observations
David A. J. Seargent

Part III. The Nuts and Bolts of Comet Observing

13. Relatively Bright Comets Predicted to Return from 2016 to 2027
David A. J. Seargent

14. 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann, an “Outbursting” Comet to Watch
David A. J. Seargent

15. Some Prominent Visual Comet Discoverers
David A. J. Seargent

16. The Kreutz Sungrazing Comet Group: A Special Opportunity for Visual Comet Hunters?
David A. J. Seargent

17. Numbered Observable Short-Period Comets
David A. J. Seargent

18. Unnumbered Short-Period Comets
David A. J. Seargent

Keywords: Popular Science, Popular Science in Astronomy, Astronomy, Observations and Techniques, Planetology