Halley's Comet, by Norman D. Anderson and Walter R. Brown.New York: Dodd, Mead & Co. 78 pp. $7.95.

Halley's Comet is due to make another of its spectacular appearances in 1985. This text gives a brief introduction to what comets really are, as well as what people have thought and feared about them in the past.

British astronomer Edmund Halley's role in the discovery of a 75-year cycle that brings the comet close to earth is explained with the help of many illustrations and photographs.

Curious children will probably delight in the chapters on comet watching and hunting, as the authors offer good tips on the kinds of binoculars, telescopes, and star charts to use.