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Burnham's Celestial Handbook - a work of art



 
 
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  #1  
Old October 10th 03, 03:27 AM
Anthony PDC
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Default Burnham's Celestial Handbook - a work of art

Hallo all. I recently bought all three volumes of Burnham's Celestial
Handbook (Dover Books) and was absolutely stunned by this work. Many
people have paid tribute over the years to the significance of the
late Robert Burnham Jr's magnum opus, which is at once a work of art
and of science: it simply has no peer. I just wanted to add my penny's
worth.

For those as yet unfamiliar with the Celestial Handbook (published
1977), it's a dense and brilliantly descriptive survey of the entire
night sky - AFAIK the most comprehensive survey of its kind currently
available. And for those whose enjoyment of Astronomy lies primarily
in visual observation, the descriptions provided are a constant
delight. It's unique because, in addition to its wealth of scientific
data, the Celestial Handbook addresses the "human" aspects of
astronomy from a pan-cultural, historical perspective, and of the
majesty of Universe as expressed through poetry. It's a book one can
curl up with and savour, such is the quality and breadth of his
treatment of the stars. It's the original "Hitch-Hiker's Guide" to the
Galaxy, no less.

That Robert Burnham died in abject poverty, that his circumstances
were so reduced at the time of his death, that his life took such a
downturn, is very upsetting given the legacy he has left in his
Handbook. I'm just amazed that it could have happened at all. He
should've been a near-celebrity in astronomical circles "in life", but
alas that didn't happen (just as well perhaps, considering Mr
Burnham's acute shyness). Ironically, he was considered an "amateur"
astronomer by the astronomy "establishment" at Lowell and elsewhere
till the day he died. This "Staff Member, Lowell Observatory 1958-79",
as he is described in the Handbook's Frontspiece, says it all.

For more info on Robert Burnham's life, see this extraordinary article
by Tony Ortega in the Phoenix New Times:


http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/issue...l/1/index.html


Finally, I really do hope that someone, preferably an author committed
to preserving Burnham's sensibilities, undertook the doubtless mammoth
task of bringing his Celestial Handbook up-to-date. What a wonderful
project that would be - and what a tribute to Robert Burnham's memory!

Regards,


Anthony


  #2  
Old October 10th 03, 03:41 AM
Dan Wenz
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Default Burnham's Celestial Handbook - a work of art

Anthony PDC wrote:

Hallo all. I recently bought all three volumes of Burnham's Celestial
Handbook (Dover Books) and was absolutely stunned by this work.


etc.

Thanks, I requested the set from my local library to take a peek first
whilst waiting for a Celestron 9¼ AS-GT to come some day, hopefully.

  #3  
Old October 10th 03, 04:47 AM
Rod Mollise
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Default Burnham's Celestial Handbook - a work of art

it's a dense and brilliantly descriptive survey of the entire
night sky - AFAIK the most comprehensive survey of its kind currently
available.


Hi Anthony:

The _Nightsky Observer's Guide_ has considerably more objects, and is probably
more oriented toward the working, modern observer. But that doesn't take
anything away from Burnhams...it IS a work of art, and will endure.

Peace,
Rod Mollise
Author of _Choosing and Using a Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope_
Like SCTs and MCTs?
Check-out sct-user, the mailing list for CAT fanciers!
Goto http://members.aol.com/RMOLLISE/index.html
  #4  
Old October 10th 03, 04:51 AM
Michael A. Covington
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Default Burnham's Celestial Handbook - a work of art


"Anthony PDC" wrote in message
...

Finally, I really do hope that someone, preferably an author committed
to preserving Burnham's sensibilities, undertook the doubtless mammoth
task of bringing his Celestial Handbook up-to-date. What a wonderful
project that would be - and what a tribute to Robert Burnham's memory!


I think that's more work than one ordinary author could do. But I would
very much like to see an edition with the coordinates precessed to epoch
2000.0 and perhaps some minor updates and comments added by another author.



  #5  
Old October 10th 03, 01:55 PM
JBortle
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Default Burnham's Celestial Handbook - a work of art

Finally, I really do hope that someone, preferably an author committed
to preserving Burnham's sensibilities, undertook the doubtless mammoth
task of bringing his Celestial Handbook up-to-date. What a wonderful
project that would be - and what a tribute to Robert Burnham's memory!


I think that's more work than one ordinary author could do. But I would
very much like to see an edition with the coordinates precessed to epoch
2000.0 and perhaps some minor updates and comments added by another author.


The best way to ruin a "classic" is to have another author attempt to update,
add to, or correct it.

JB
  #6  
Old October 10th 03, 03:07 PM
Michael A. Covington
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Default Burnham's Celestial Handbook - a work of art


"JBortle" wrote in message
...
Finally, I really do hope that someone, preferably an author committed
to preserving Burnham's sensibilities, undertook the doubtless mammoth
task of bringing his Celestial Handbook up-to-date. What a wonderful
project that would be - and what a tribute to Robert Burnham's memory!


I think that's more work than one ordinary author could do. But I would
very much like to see an edition with the coordinates precessed to epoch
2000.0 and perhaps some minor updates and comments added by another

author.

The best way to ruin a "classic" is to have another author attempt to

update,
add to, or correct it.


Maybe someone could do something analogous to The Annotated Sherlock Holmes.
Reproduce Burnham's pages intact (with errors -- he even misspells one
constellation name consistently, I think it's Piscis Austrinus), and in the
wide margin, give the updated coordinates and occasional remarks about the
objects.


  #8  
Old October 10th 03, 06:36 PM
lal_truckee
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Default Burnham's Celestial Handbook - a work of art

Michael A. Covington wrote:

"JBortle" wrote in message
...

Finally, I really do hope that someone, preferably an author committed
to preserving Burnham's sensibilities, undertook the doubtless mammoth
task of bringing his Celestial Handbook up-to-date. What a wonderful
project that would be - and what a tribute to Robert Burnham's memory!

I think that's more work than one ordinary author could do. But I would
very much like to see an edition with the coordinates precessed to epoch
2000.0 and perhaps some minor updates and comments added by another


author.

The best way to ruin a "classic" is to have another author attempt to


update,

add to, or correct it.



Maybe someone could do something analogous to The Annotated Sherlock Holmes.
Reproduce Burnham's pages intact (with errors -- he even misspells one
constellation name consistently, I think it's Piscis Austrinus), and in the
wide margin, give the updated coordinates and occasional remarks about the
objects.


I'd be happy with just a new typeset - my edition uses a gawdawful
non-proportional typeface (it looks like it was photocopied from
original typewriter pages (maybe that's all that's available? I've never
seen another addition.) It's a chore to read; a shame, since it's
wonderful when you do make the effort.

  #9  
Old October 10th 03, 06:48 PM
Jim Shaffer, Jr.
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Default Burnham's Celestial Handbook - a work of art

On Thu, 09 Oct 2003 22:27:57 -0400, Anthony PDC
wrote:

It's unique because, in addition to its wealth of scientific
data, the Celestial Handbook addresses the "human" aspects of
astronomy from a pan-cultural, historical perspective, and of the
majesty of Universe as expressed through poetry. It's a book one can
curl up with and savour, such is the quality and breadth of his
treatment of the stars.


If you enjoy Burnham's style of writing, you'd probably enjoy another Dover
reprint, Richard Hinckley Allen's "Star Names - Their Lore and Meaning". No
physics whatsoever (it's over a hundred years old), but a colossal tour of
history and mythology.



  #10  
Old October 10th 03, 09:26 PM
Rod Mollise
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Default Burnham's Celestial Handbook - a work of art

Sounds interesting Rod. Are there two editions? It is $55 per volume on
Amazon, and apparently $34.95 from the editior's web site.


Hi:

AFAIK, there's only one edition...nice, too.

Peace,
Rod Mollise
Author of _Choosing and Using a Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope_
Like SCTs and MCTs?
Check-out sct-user, the mailing list for CAT fanciers!
Goto http://members.aol.com/RMOLLISE/index.html
 




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