Comets
Creators and Destroyers
1st Edition
Published on 20. May 1998
256 pages
978-1-4391-3689-8 (ISBN)
Description
David Levy brings these "ghostly apparitions" to life. With fascinating scenarios both real and imagined, he shows how comets have wreaked their special havoc on Earth and other planets. Beginning with ground zero as comets take form, we track the paths their icy, rocky masses take around our universe and investigate the enormous potential that future comets have to directly affect the way we live on this planet and what we might find as we travel to other planets.
In this extraordinary volume, David Levy shines his expert light on a subject that has long captivated our imaginations and fears, and demonstrates the need for our continued and rapt attention.
In this extraordinary volume, David Levy shines his expert light on a subject that has long captivated our imaginations and fears, and demonstrates the need for our continued and rapt attention.
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Person
David H. Levy is a contributing editor of Parade magazine and has discovered twenty-one comets, including Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, which collided with Jupiter. He is the author of nineteen books, including Skywatching, hundreds of articles, and a number of screenplays, all on aspects of astronomy. He lives in Vail, Arizona.
Content
CONTENTS
Preface GHOSTLY APPARITIONS IN THE NIGHT 11
One FROM DUST TO DUST 17
Two FOUR BILLION YEARS AGO 37
Three COMETS AND THE ORIGIN OF LIFE 57
Four THREE BILLION YEARS AGO 71
Five SIXTY-FIVE MILLION YEARS AGO 87
Six COMETS ARE DOUBLE-EDGED SWORDS 103
Seven EARTH'S FIRST COLD WAR 115
Eight A TIME FOR COMETS 125
Nine A FIELD OF DREAMS 139
Ten TARGET EARTH 153
Eleven THREE LITTLE WORLDS 173
Twelve PROBING FOR LIFE IN OUR GALAXY 185
Thirteen YES, VIRGINIA, COMETS DO HIT PLANETS 197
Fourteen PRESCRIPTION FOR DOOMSDAY 215
Fifteen AN EPILOGUE 231
NOTES 239
INDEX 245
Preface GHOSTLY APPARITIONS IN THE NIGHT 11
One FROM DUST TO DUST 17
Two FOUR BILLION YEARS AGO 37
Three COMETS AND THE ORIGIN OF LIFE 57
Four THREE BILLION YEARS AGO 71
Five SIXTY-FIVE MILLION YEARS AGO 87
Six COMETS ARE DOUBLE-EDGED SWORDS 103
Seven EARTH'S FIRST COLD WAR 115
Eight A TIME FOR COMETS 125
Nine A FIELD OF DREAMS 139
Ten TARGET EARTH 153
Eleven THREE LITTLE WORLDS 173
Twelve PROBING FOR LIFE IN OUR GALAXY 185
Thirteen YES, VIRGINIA, COMETS DO HIT PLANETS 197
Fourteen PRESCRIPTION FOR DOOMSDAY 215
Fifteen AN EPILOGUE 231
NOTES 239
INDEX 245
