Captain Hector Servadac of the French Army,has an appointment the next day, a duel. But he's not going to meet the Russian Count Wassili Timascheff, his opponent.Don't disparage Servadac; he's a brave man. The dispute? A charming woman, the Captain is French !In 1877, colonial Algeria,men get bored.Comet "Gallia" hits the Earth, taking chunks of land with it,just before these honorable men can shoot each other.36 people, 3 French ,10 Spanish, 8 Russians, 13 British,1 German and 1 Italian little girl and only female,who somehow survive, are taken on the wildest ride, in history.From near the Sun,almost hitting Venus, to passing the orbit of Jupiter and beyond, boiling and freezing in the long two year, billions of miles journey ,through the Solar System.Hector, is one of the passengers,along also, his army buddy and orderly, with the unlikely nickname, of Ben Zoof. So is Count Timascheff and his yacht Dobryna and devoted crew.Yes,the comet has a sea. Astronomer Palmyrin Rosette,Servadac's old bad tempered teacher, is rescued from a frozen island.The scientist gives them valuable information.Gallia will collide with Earth (they need a plan and have twenty four months). On the Golden Comet,it has vast gold deposits! Old Sol, rises in the west and sinks in the east, the day is 12 hours long, has a small moon,gravity one seventh of Terra. The atmosphere even has clouds. A live volcano luckily is found ,to keep the inhabitants warm in the winter.They live comfortably,plenty of food, under the volcano, while outside temperatures are 70 F , below zero! Time slowly creeps by and the Earth grows larger every day, in the sky.At last an idea, build a balloon and float back home!