Fire in the Sky: Comets and Meteors, the Decisive Centuries in British Art and Science, Roberta J.M.Olson and Jay M.Passachoff, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1999, hardback, pp. 369.

This wide-ranging survey of astronomical art from the eighteenth century to the present deals with symbolic and metaphorical representations of comets and meteors rather than literal depictions, illustrating the extent to which they reinforce the dramatic impact of romantic and fantastic art (e.g. William Blake’s, ‘The Approach of Doom’, c. 1792, p. 82-3). Some photographs and technical drawings are also included. As the authors write, ‘Comets and meteors are spectacular and awe-inspiring natural phenomena which are among nature’s most compelling icons’ (p.  1). The extensive commentary makes this work a valuable resource.