THE LONG JOURNEY FROM SPACE

Simon's Long View Into Space, a lavishly photo-illustrated tour through the solar system and on into distant galaxies, contained a two-page (three-photo) stopover with comets and meteorites. In the same format, this entry expands on the comet and meteor material, telling a little more about Halley's observations, distinguishing among three types of comet tails, and (while emphasizing the heavy odds against a person getting hit) noting particular meteorites that have hit earth. It's a respectable once-over, and the glossy format may attract viewers--though the repetitive photos of comet tails and meteor streaks can't compete with the heavenly light show of the earlier volume, and serious investigators will find more of substance in Branley's Comets, Meteorites, and Asteroids (1974).