by Robert Burnham, Jr.
An Observer’s Guide to the Universe Beyond the Solar System
An Observer’s Guide to the Universe Beyond the Solar System
This is a work that is of interest primarily to serious amateur astronomers, but I am offering this review as a tribute to the author. His three-volume book is the masterpiece of an individual whose life story is as poignant and media-worthy as that of the main character in "A Beautiful Mind".
Most scientifically-inclined individuals who consider and explore an interest in stargazing are exposed to magazine ads for astronomically-oriented book clubs. These ads always seem to offer a bargain introduction which inevitably tout “all three volumes of 'The Celestial Handbook' for only $$-----“. Considering the essential worth of the handbook, the bargain is certainly an unbelievable inducement, but the clubs’ largess is tempered by the peculiar legal/financial arrangements involved in the book’s distribution.
Almost all amateur sky observers who have advanced from the very casual to more advanced levels use the book as either their primary, or one of their primary, references and resources. In discussions of sky objects for viewing, for example, it’s typical to hear, “Well, Burnham says …….” It’s also not uncommon to hear comments to the effect that users are on their second or third set, having earlier copies of the paperbacked volumes deteriorate from use.
The first compendium was completed in 1966, with an updated version distributed in 1978; I believe this is the latest publication, although revisions have been rumored. It might be mentioned that the positions of stellar objects change over time, and are referenced by “epochs” updated every fifty years; the positions in the handbook are those of “EPOCH 1950”, and require conversion to the “EPOCH 2000” coordinates for precise accuracy. Any planned revisions will necessarily take these changes into account.
Burnham organizes the text into the familiar individual grouping of objects known as the eighty-eight constellations, with an alphabetically sorted chapter devoted to each constellation. The main text is prefaced by a comprehensive introduction which details his style, format, abbreviation usage, and other explanatory material; it becomes important for the user to refer to these because his material is occasionally necessarily compressed to the extent of using “shorthand” symbols (e.g., stellar spectra, object brightness, etc.).
Each of his chapters goes into the historical origins, including the mythical concomitants, of the constellation and most of the astronomical objects contained in the area. Further, he describes the observational history of each object (typically offering the colorful comments made by earlier observers), its place in the category of similar type objects, and a very analytical description of the nature of the object.
This book, then, is a basic reference for the stargazer to plan what he/she wants to observe during a session as well as an educational review of what is was that he/she did observe. It is comprehensive to a fault, so much so that it is sometimes effort-intensive just to find what one is looking for. Another “flaw”, at least in my copy, is that there are no individual indices in each volume; one must go Vol. 3 to find that kind of help. However, most of us with this absorbing interest find Burnham to be indispensable.
As mentioned, this review is intended as a salute to the author whose life was chronicled in some detail by newspaper man Tony Ortega, first in an article in the Phoenix New Times newspaper in 1997, then in expanded communications in subsequent years. In summary, Burnham, reportedly always a rather peculiar individual, got a job with the Flagstaff Observatory, because of his interest in astronomy, where he began writing his great opus resulting in publication by Dover. This evidently became a source of conflict, and he resigned his position with his only source of income being meager royalties from the publisher. This was followed by further conflict with Dover, and arrangement by the author to sell his work via astronomy book clubs for a pittance.
With multiple conflicts from several sources, probably largely due to his own making, the impoverished Burnham moved to California and led a reclusive life as a sidewalk painter, dying unrecognized and alone in 1995. Later records indicate that, over the years, his total financial return from his great work was some $3000.
Here’s a toast to you, Robert Burnham, Jr.! May you finally rest in peace.
Reviewed by Ken West
Most scientifically-inclined individuals who consider and explore an interest in stargazing are exposed to magazine ads for astronomically-oriented book clubs. These ads always seem to offer a bargain introduction which inevitably tout “all three volumes of 'The Celestial Handbook' for only $$-----“. Considering the essential worth of the handbook, the bargain is certainly an unbelievable inducement, but the clubs’ largess is tempered by the peculiar legal/financial arrangements involved in the book’s distribution.
Almost all amateur sky observers who have advanced from the very casual to more advanced levels use the book as either their primary, or one of their primary, references and resources. In discussions of sky objects for viewing, for example, it’s typical to hear, “Well, Burnham says …….” It’s also not uncommon to hear comments to the effect that users are on their second or third set, having earlier copies of the paperbacked volumes deteriorate from use.
The first compendium was completed in 1966, with an updated version distributed in 1978; I believe this is the latest publication, although revisions have been rumored. It might be mentioned that the positions of stellar objects change over time, and are referenced by “epochs” updated every fifty years; the positions in the handbook are those of “EPOCH 1950”, and require conversion to the “EPOCH 2000” coordinates for precise accuracy. Any planned revisions will necessarily take these changes into account.
Burnham organizes the text into the familiar individual grouping of objects known as the eighty-eight constellations, with an alphabetically sorted chapter devoted to each constellation. The main text is prefaced by a comprehensive introduction which details his style, format, abbreviation usage, and other explanatory material; it becomes important for the user to refer to these because his material is occasionally necessarily compressed to the extent of using “shorthand” symbols (e.g., stellar spectra, object brightness, etc.).
Each of his chapters goes into the historical origins, including the mythical concomitants, of the constellation and most of the astronomical objects contained in the area. Further, he describes the observational history of each object (typically offering the colorful comments made by earlier observers), its place in the category of similar type objects, and a very analytical description of the nature of the object.
This book, then, is a basic reference for the stargazer to plan what he/she wants to observe during a session as well as an educational review of what is was that he/she did observe. It is comprehensive to a fault, so much so that it is sometimes effort-intensive just to find what one is looking for. Another “flaw”, at least in my copy, is that there are no individual indices in each volume; one must go Vol. 3 to find that kind of help. However, most of us with this absorbing interest find Burnham to be indispensable.
As mentioned, this review is intended as a salute to the author whose life was chronicled in some detail by newspaper man Tony Ortega, first in an article in the Phoenix New Times newspaper in 1997, then in expanded communications in subsequent years. In summary, Burnham, reportedly always a rather peculiar individual, got a job with the Flagstaff Observatory, because of his interest in astronomy, where he began writing his great opus resulting in publication by Dover. This evidently became a source of conflict, and he resigned his position with his only source of income being meager royalties from the publisher. This was followed by further conflict with Dover, and arrangement by the author to sell his work via astronomy book clubs for a pittance.
With multiple conflicts from several sources, probably largely due to his own making, the impoverished Burnham moved to California and led a reclusive life as a sidewalk painter, dying unrecognized and alone in 1995. Later records indicate that, over the years, his total financial return from his great work was some $3000.
Here’s a toast to you, Robert Burnham, Jr.! May you finally rest in peace.
Reviewed by Ken West
No comments:
Post a Comment