Aristotle's Theory of Comets.- After Aristotle.- From Brahe to Newton.- Comets in Newtonian Physics.- After Newton.- Non-Newtonian Theories of Comets.- Comets in the Laplacian Cosmos.- Comets in the Post-Laplacian Era.
From the reviews:Until very recently, comets have been consistently
misunderstood and often considered as flaming apparitions thrown at
a sinful Earth from the right hand of an avenging God. Today they
are considered as icy remnants of the solar system formation
process - but still capable of striking Earth. Dr. Heidarzadeh has
provided a comprehensive, scholarly and yet interesting history as
to how comets have been perceived from ancient times through the
mid twentieth century. It is highly recommended for scientists and
layman alike." Donald K. Yeomans, Senior Research Scientist at the
California Institute of Technology's Jet Propulsion
LaboratoryHeidarzadeh's book offers a comprehensive, scholarly
survey of physical theories of comets from antiquity to the present
day. He offers considerable new detail on Newton's theories and
their reception, a topic that has received surprisingly little
attention. And he also covers the crucial period in which Laplace
and his contemporaries reduced comets from the size of planets to
near the size we believe they are today. This is a remarkable trove
of information to find in a single book, and it will be invaluable
to anyone interested in the history of the physical sciences and
especially the history of astronomy and cosmology. -- Peter Barker,
University of Oklahoma“Tofigh Heidarzadeh covers over two thousand
years of cometary theory in this book. … does a fine job of
examining how theories about the natural world combined with
theories about comets … . this book is a valuable and original
addition to the literature on the history of astronomy. It provides
useful images and tables and Heidarzadeh’s descriptions … are
detailed and clear. His book … will appeal to both the specialist
and to those new to the topic.” (Elizabeth Burns, Journal for the
History of Astronomy, Vol. xli, August, 2010)
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