November 8 2013 - Comet Inspired Cocktails Book Movie Music Recommendations

"Comets are like cats: they have tails, and they do precisely what they want.”

- David H. Levy, Comets: Creators and Destroyers


The night sky is so full of magic. The stars alone dazzle like a sea of gems. The moon reminds us that our life giving sun will rise again as she reflects and reinterprets its powerful forces. Occasionally we are witness to meteor showers, falling stars we can all wish upon. But one of the rarer occurrences is the sighting of a majestic, mysterious comet.

Comets are celestial bodies made of ice and star dust that orbit our sun. They have "tails" because as they near the sun the ice starts to heat up and vaporize. According to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratories, there are about 4,000 known comets in our solar system.

Comets have appeared in art. There is an image of a comet in the Bayeux Tapestry and in the Adoration of the Magi as painted by Giotto.



One of the best known comets is Halley's Comet, famous because of its regular appearance every 75 years. There was also the spectacular Shoemaker-Levy comet, which crashed into the planet Jupiter in 1994 (See David Levy's books below). A recently discovered comet, ISON, is one you might be able to view this week.

Superstitions surround the appearance of a comet. It is usually considered an evil omen. Everything from war to famine has been blamed on comets. Luckily we are better educated than our ancestors and understand that a comet isn't the devil's messenger, rather a wonder of our universe.

I say let us toast Comets and celebrate their beauty and learn their secrets. Below I have recommended a few cocktails, books, music and films I hope you will enjoy! Viva le Comete!

NOTE: There is still no definitive answer as to whether or not it was a comet or meteor (or UFO!!!) that exploded over Tunguska Siberia in 1908. I've included a book regarding this mystery below. I've also included a link to a CD, yes a CD, about Tunguska created in 2007 by the United States Government.

COCKTAILS

Comet Cocktail

• Cocktail Glass
• Cocktail Shaker
• 2 ounces Cognac
• 1 ounce grapefruit juice
• 1 dash Van der Hum Liqueur
• 1 dash Angostura Bitters
• Crushed Ice
• Lemon wedge for garnish

Chill your cocktail glass.
Fill cocktail shaker half full with crushed ice. Add all ingredients except lemon wedge. Shake for about 30 seconds. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with lemon wedge.


Fireball Shot

• Shot Glass
• Bacardi Rum 151
• 3-4 Drops Tabasco

Fill the shot glass with the rum. Add a few dashes Tabasco.
Bottoms up!


Pangalactic Gargle Blaster Shot

• Shot Glass
• Malibu Rum
• Midor Liqueur

Fill the shot glass with half rum half Midori.
Bottoms up!

BOOKS

Non-Fiction
Comets and How to Observe Them (Astronomers' Observing Guides) by Richard Schmude Jr.
Comet, Revised by Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan
Comets, Popular Culture, and the Birth of Modern Cosmology by Sara Schechner
Deep Sky Objects: The Best And Brightest from Four Decades of Comet Chasing by David Levy
Comets: Creators and Destroyers by David Levy
The Tunguska Mystery (Astronomers' Universe) by Vladimir Rubtsov
21st Century Guide to the Tunguska Event, Siberia 1908, Comets, Asteroids, and Near-Earth Object Threats (CD-ROM) by the United States Government.

Fiction
Now and Forever: Somewhere a Band Is Playing & Leviathan '99 by Ray Bradbury
Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
In the Days of the Comet by H.G. Wells

MOVIES

Night Of The Comet (1984)
Shopping and fighting zombies. It's just an ordinary day for two Valley Girls. You're gonna love this one!
Deep Impact (1998)
Yes, this is a big goofy disaster film with a ridiculous plot. But it's fun and it stars Morgan Freeman. That makes it worth the watch!
Maximum Overdrive (1986) This film, directed by Stephen King, is scary and fun. During an eight day pass through a comet's tail all machines on Earth become animated, and not in a good way. For some reason I don't understand you cannot buy this movie new directly from Amazon for less than $50.00. I highly recommend it but unless you are a rabid Stephen King fan I suggest you rent it from Amazon or perhaps borrow it from a friend.

MUSIC

Holst: The Planets
MAGNIFICENT! Great background music to read by.
The Best Of Bill Haley & His Comets: 20th Century Masters-(Millennium Collection)
Okay, so this music isn't really about comets but it sure is great rock and roll!

Special thanks to Dylan A. Kent for all her help with the cocktail recipes. Follow her on Twitter @DylanAKent

If you found these Library of Ghosts recommendations useful, please use the links above to purchase the items from Amazon. This helps support my blog. Thank You.

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Have a great day!

Keywords: comet, comets, solar system, space, Halley's Comet, David Levy, ISON, Shoemaker-Levy, cocktails, fireball, pangalactic gargle blaster, Ray Bradbury, Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, H. G. Wells, Night of the Comet, Deep Impact, Holst, The Planets, Bill Haley & His Comets, Maximum Overdrive, Tunguska