Fire in the Sky: Comets and Meteors, the Decisive Centuries, in British Art and ScienceFire in the Sky collects many representations of comets and meteors in Britain during the eighteen and nineteenth century when a large number of works inspired by these celestial objects were produced. Over 100 photographs--and two sections of luscious color plates--beautifully portray the inspired output of some of the world's most talented artists, fully capturing the phenomenon that obsessed not only a nation but an era as well. Olson and Pasachoff reveal the many different ways that comets and meteors have appeared in paintings and literature and link these works to the achievements of British science in the wake of Newton and Halley. They also examine the different symbolism that writers and artists have attached to these spectacular objects. Throughout, Fire in the Sky conveys how the development of new technologies, and the burgeoning interest of the general public in science and art, dovetailed with an interest in nature and a strong literary tradition of comet and meteor symbolism. Beautifully illustrated and packed with engaging stories, this book will delight anyone with an interest in the art and astronomy of comets. |
From inside the book
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Page 7
... visible for months on end . The most dazzling have had tails that stretch far across the sky . It is understandable then that many observers throughout the centuries have attributed deep significances to their appearances , and that ...
... visible for months on end . The most dazzling have had tails that stretch far across the sky . It is understandable then that many observers throughout the centuries have attributed deep significances to their appearances , and that ...
Page 11
... visible all around their orbits , the old systems grew unwieldy . In 1994 , therefore , they promulgated the new sys- tem of nomenclature , in which a comet is designated by the year and an upper - case letter to indicate the halfmonth ...
... visible all around their orbits , the old systems grew unwieldy . In 1994 , therefore , they promulgated the new sys- tem of nomenclature , in which a comet is designated by the year and an upper - case letter to indicate the halfmonth ...
Page 12
... visible 150 miles ( 240 km ) away . Exceptionally bright meteors are known as " fireballs . " Many eye - witnesses have stated that they have heard a hissing noise simultaneously with viewing the trail of a meteor as it rushed through ...
... visible 150 miles ( 240 km ) away . Exceptionally bright meteors are known as " fireballs . " Many eye - witnesses have stated that they have heard a hissing noise simultaneously with viewing the trail of a meteor as it rushed through ...
Page 14
... visible . In the rare " meteor storms , " such as occurred with the Leonid showers in November of 1833 and 1866 , thousands of meteors per minute appeared ! Since the period is about 33 years , and since a storm was visible in 1966 , we ...
... visible . In the rare " meteor storms , " such as occurred with the Leonid showers in November of 1833 and 1866 , thousands of meteors per minute appeared ! Since the period is about 33 years , and since a storm was visible in 1966 , we ...
Page 27
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Contents
Prelude The Beginning of Telescopic Astronomy and the Background of British Astronomy and Artistic Traditions | 17 |
The Heavens on Fire The Eighteenth Century | 37 |
The CometCrazed Century Opens | 109 |
The Triumph of Realism | 179 |
Donatis Comet the Watershed | 227 |
The Origin oAPPENDIX If Comet and Meteor Photography | 245 |
The Triumph of the Imagination | 263 |
Comets and the New Century | 309 |
Comets and the New Millennium | 317 |
Appendices | 331 |
349 | |
363 | |
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Common terms and phrases
18 August Account apparition appeared Archives artist Astronomical Society Library black ink British Art British Museum brown ink Cambridge celestial Center for British century Charles Piazzi Smyth color comet's tail cometarium comets and meteors depicted Donati's Comet drawing earth engraving Figure fireball Gallery George graphite Greenwich Halley Halley's Comet heaven Ibid illustration inscribed John John Herschel Kronk light Linnell Linnell's London Martin meteor of 18 Meteor seen meteorites Monthly Notices Moon Newton nucleus observed October Olson orbit Oxford painting Pasachoff Paul Mellon Paul Mellon Collection Paul Sandby pen and black pen and brown Phil Philosophical Transactions photograph Piazzi Smyth planets plate portrait published Rowlandson Royal Astronomical Society Royal Observatory Edinburgh Royal Society sale cat Sandby satire Science Museum scientific Scott sketch solar symbolism telescope Thomas tion Trans Turner watercolor watercolor with pen William Blake William Herschel Yale Center York