Gary W. Kronk has observed over 200 comets since 1973 and has spent over 40 years researching and writing about the history of comets. He has written ten books, including the six-volume Cometography series, as well as articles for Astronomy, Sky & Telescope, and Stardate magazines. He has authored or co-authored several refereed papers that have been published in the Journal of the International Meteor Organization, Icarus, Earth, Moon and Planets, and the Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage. The co-authored papers were with astronomers Brian G. Marsden, Peter Jenniskens, and Wayne Orchiston. In 1999, Kronk was invited to join the NASA and US Air Force Leonid MAC '99 mission to study the Leonid meteor shower over Europe. In 2003, Kronk spoke at the International Workshop on Cometary Astronomy in Paris, France. The minor planet 48300 was named in his honor.

Maik Meyer has been an avid comet observer since 1987. Always interested in the history of comet hunting and observing, he has specialized in identifying and linking historic comet apparitions with known comets and calculating new and improved cometary orbits. He is discoverer of periodic comet 312P and the namesake of the Meyer group of sunskirting comets which he identified in 2002. The minor planet (52005) was named in his honor. He is co-author of volumes 5 and 6 of Cometography.

First comprehensive evaluation of unconfirmed comets reported between 1600 and 1899

Contains never before published data, images, and records from around the world

Analyzes common reasons for false sightings and the problem of decentralized records

Chapter 1 Catalog.