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基本説明
New in paperback. Hardcover was published in 1998.
Full Description
Imagine the night sky so full of shooting stars that the firmament itself seems to be crashing to Earth. When the most spectacular of all meteor showers - the Leonids - passed in 1966, observers saw 40 every second. In 1833, three widely-separated observers described the Leonid storm as 'the heavens on fire'. The returning Leonids are now reaching their peak with great activity expected in mid-November in the next couple of years. The Heavens on Fire vividly tells the history of meteors, and especially the Leonids, whose terrifying beauty established meteor science. Mark Littmann traces the history and mythology of meteors, profiles the fascinating figures whose discoveries advanced the field, and explores how meteors have changed the course of life on Earth. He offers advice on how and where to make the best of the forthcoming Leonid storms.
Contents
1. The night the stars fell; 2. Sifting; 3. Struggling to understand meteors; 4. The November meteors in history; 5. The critics attack; 6. The discovery of the August meteors; 7. 1866: the first predicted return; 8. The comet-meteor connection; 9. Meters for meteors; 10. The coming fire shower - 1899; 11. The world's safest fireworks display - 1932; 12. New horizons in meteor science; 13. Surprise - 1966; 14. Killer comets and dis-asteroids; 15. Catch a falling star; 16. Prospects for 1998, 1999, and 2000; 17. The journey of a meteoroid; Glossary; Notes; Bibliography; Index.
