Ronald Stoyan’s engrossing atlas gives full, richly illustrated accounts of 30 of the most important comets that have been witnessed and documented in modern times. For each appearance, from the Great Comet of 1471 (none has ever come closer to Earth) to Comet McNaught in 2007, there is astronomical data, a description of the comet’s orbit and visibility, the history of its discovery and observation, and its wider cultural and scientific impact.