EDITOR'S PREFACE

pp v-vi

PREFACE

pp vii-xiv

Contents

pp xv-xxxiv

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

pp xxxv-xxxviii

CHAPTER I - BELIEFS AND SUPERSTITIONS RELATIVE TO COMETS

pp 1-2

SECTION I - COMETS CONSIDERED AS PRESAGES

pp 3-7

SECTION II - COMETS IN GREEK AND ROMAN ANTIQUITY

pp 8-16

SECTION III - THE COMETS OF THE MIDDLE AGES

pp 17-25

SECTION IV - COMETS FROM THE RENAISSANCE TO THE PRESENT DAY

pp 26-32

CHAPTER II - COMETARY ASTRONOMY UP TO THE TIME OF NEWTON

pp 33-34

SECTION I - COMETS AND THE ASTRONOMERS OF EGYPT AND CHALDEA

pp 35-41

SECTION II - COMETARY ASTRONOMY IN THE TIME OF SENECA

pp 42-46

SECTION III - COMETS DURING THE RENAISSANCE AND UP TO THE TIME OF NEWTON AND HALLEY

pp 47-51

SECTION IV - NEWTON DISCOVERS THE TRUE NATURE OF COMETARY ORBITS

pp 52-56

CHAPTER III - THE MOTIONS AND ORBITS OF COMETS

pp 57-58

SECTION I - COMETS PARTICIPATE IN THE DIURNAL MOTION

pp 59-60

SECTION II - MOTIONS OF COMETS

pp 61-64

SECTION III - IRREGULARITIES IN THE MOTIONS OF COMETS

pp 65-68

SECTION IV - THE ORBITS OF COMETS

pp 69-82

SECTION V - THE ORBITS OF COMETS COMPARED WITH THE ORBITS OF THE PLANETS

pp 83-86

SECTION VI - DETERMINATION OF THE PARABOLIC ORBIT OF A COMET

pp 87-92

CHAPTER IV - PERIODICAL COMETS

pp 93-94

SECTION I - COMETS WHOSE RETURN HAS BEEN OBSERVED

pp 95-99

SECTION II - HALLEY'S COMET

pp 100-108

SECTION III - ENCKE'S COMET; OR, THE SHORT PERIOD COMET

pp 109-112

SECTION IV - BIELA'S OR GAMBART'S COMET

pp 113-115

SECTION V - FAYE'S COMET

pp 116-118

SECTION VI - BRORSEN'S COMET

pp 119-121

SECTION VII - D'ARREST'S COMET

pp 122-123