THE ROMANCE OF COMETS [Illustration: PROFESSOR E. E. BARNARD ] The Romance of Comets _By_ MARY PROCTOR, F.R.A.S., F.R.Met.S. (Daughter of the late Richard A. Proctor) _Author of “Evenings with the Stars,” “Stories of Starland,” “Giant Sun and His Family,” “Legends of the Stars,” “The Children’s Book of the Heavens,” Etc._ ILLUSTRATED [Illustration: [Logo]] HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS NEW YORK AND LONDON MCMXXVI THE ROMANCE OF COMETS: MADE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA COPYRIGHT, 1926, BY HARPER AND BROTHERS PUBLISHERS NEW YORK AND LONDON E-A _Dedicated_ TO THE MEMORY OF _my kind and helpful friend_ PROFESSOR E. E. BARNARD _Contents_ PREFACE xi _Chapter One_: COMETS AS PORTENTS 1 _Chapter Two_: COMET-HUNTING AS A HOBBY 16 _Chapter Three_: THE STORY OF DONATI’S COMET 37 _Chapter Four_: COMETS IN DISTRESS 46 _Chapter Five_: PHOTOGRAPHY AS APPLIED TO COMETS 67 _Chapter Six_: RETURN OF HALLEY’S COMET IN 1910 94 _Chapter Seven_: ORIGIN OF COMETS AND METEORS 133 _Chapter Eight_: METEOR STREAMS 168 _Chapter Nine_: DID LIFE FIRST COME TO THIS EARTH IN A METEOR? 196 _Illustrations_