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Burnham's Celestial Handbook
Does any one know of a source that corrects the errors in that most famous
and usefull handbook of all handbooks the "Burnham's Celestial Handbook". |
#2
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(HAVRILIAK) wrote:
Does any one know of a source that corrects the errors in that most famous and usefull handbook of all handbooks the "Burnham's Celestial Handbook". http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/issue...tml/page1.html "A year ago, a talented astronomer who has worked both as an amateur and a professional began considering taking on the task of updating Burnham's massive work. His name is Brian Skiff, he works at Lowell Observatory, and he knows the night sky about as well as anyone in the world. He says that before taking on the challenge of producing a new, improved Celestial Handbook, he decided he'd better take another look at the old one. "I was amazed. I think it's just fantastic," he says. It was also daunting. Skiff thought better of the idea, and has put the task aside, at least temporarily." -- Martin Frey http://www.hadastro.org.uk N 51 02 E 0 47 |
#3
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"Martin Frey" wrote in message ... (HAVRILIAK) wrote: Does any one know of a source that corrects the errors in that most famous and usefull handbook of all handbooks the "Burnham's Celestial Handbook". http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/issue...tml/page1.html "A year ago, a talented astronomer who has worked both as an amateur and a professional began considering taking on the task of updating Burnham's massive work. His name is Brian Skiff, he works at Lowell Observatory, and he knows the night sky about as well as anyone in the world. He says that before taking on the challenge of producing a new, improved Celestial Handbook, he decided he'd better take another look at the old one. "I was amazed. I think it's just fantastic," he says. It was also daunting. Skiff thought better of the idea, and has put the task aside, at least temporarily." Thanks for that link. Even after all this time, with all of the PC based planetarium programs, and later books I have bought. Burnham's still has pride of place, and there is not a nights observing I undertake when I don't approach my now dog eared copies. |
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"Wally Anglesea" wrote in message ... Thanks for that link. Even after all this time, with all of the PC based planetarium programs, and later books I have bought. Burnham's still has pride of place, and there is not a nights observing I undertake when I don't approach my now dog eared copies. The prices have dropped so low that I picked up a second pristine set off ebay ($10). I keep it secured until my field copies become unusable (or i give them away). Burnham makes a good read on cloudy nites too. Scotty Houston comes close to his inspirational writing. Do you know of anyone else? peace, jon |
#5
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Does any one know of a source that corrects the errors in that most famous
and usefull handbook of all handbooks the "Burnham's Celestial Handbook". Hi: Which "errors" are you talking about? Other than outdated information in the introductory matter, the errors are surprisingly few. Naturally, the book's coordinates, which are at Epoch 1950, are a little out of date now, but if you need precision, any number of programs can precess Burnham's coordinates. Me? I don't _want_ to see the book updated. It's fine as is and should remain that way. Anybody who wants MORE, MORE, MORE, should take a look at The Night Sky Observer's Guide, which is like a Burnham's without the poetic prose, but with many more objects. ;-) 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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On 06 Sep 2004 15:14:08 GMT, Rod Mollise wrote:
Me? I don't _want_ to see the book updated. It's fine as is and should remain that way. Anybody who wants MORE, MORE, MORE, should take a look at The Night Sky Observer's Guide, which is like a Burnham's without the poetic prose, but with many more objects. ;-) It's like spending time in a section of a any city where most of the buildings have been there for a long while. They don't look like multistory, propped up panes of tinted glass laced with shiny metal and topped with spindly antennas that scratch the sky and radar dishes which capture information that is rushed off somewhere to be converted to cash. The Burnham's trilogy is a brick and mortar masterpiece equipped with pigeon-fouled ledges, gargoyle-tipped corners, and elevators that require the manual closing of a sliding laced gate. Look for me sitting at a sidewalk table outside a coffeehouse in this area of town, slowly sipping a double shot of straight espresso and gradually turning the pages of Burnham's Celestial Handbook. -- Martin "Photographs From the Universe of Amateur Astronomy" http://home.earthlink.net/~martinhowell |
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But I wouldn't compare it to
Burnham. Hi: I agree. _Burnham's_ is something that can't be easily duplicated, and it's probably good that no one has tried. 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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"Jax" wrote in message ... "Wally Anglesea" wrote in message ... Thanks for that link. Even after all this time, with all of the PC based planetarium programs, and later books I have bought. Burnham's still has pride of place, and there is not a nights observing I undertake when I don't approach my now dog eared copies. The prices have dropped so low that I picked up a second pristine set off ebay ($10). I keep it secured until my field copies become unusable (or i give them away). Burnham makes a good read on cloudy nites too. Scotty Houston comes close to his inspirational writing. Do you know of anyone else? I don't know of any practical astronomy writing that comes close to the effort Burnham put in. |
#9
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Jax wrote:
"Wally Anglesea" wrote in message ... Thanks for that link. Even after all this time, with all of the PC based planetarium programs, and later books I have bought. Burnham's still has pride of place, and there is not a nights observing I undertake when I don't approach my now dog eared copies. The prices have dropped so low that I picked up a second pristine set off ebay ($10). I keep it secured until my field copies become unusable (or i give them away). Burnham makes a good read on cloudy nites too. Scotty Houston comes close to his inspirational writing. Do you know of anyone else? peace, jon My set was free with an astronomy book offer about 30-years ago. -----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =----- http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! -----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =----- |
#10
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I have a set of paperback Burnham's in my observatory and a set of
hard cover in my library. Now that I think about, if I had to save any of my books, Burnham's would be at the top of the list. Where my interest in astronomy is skewed toward the aesthetic pleasures, I couldn't have a better guide than Robert Burnham Jr. May he rest in peace. His life story is both one of the most inspiring and sorrowful tales I have ever heard. I suppose bitter-sweet is a good term. |
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