Burnham's Celestial Handbook
Burnham's Celestial Handbook; an observer's guide to the universe beyond the solar system (three volumes, 2138 pages)
Robert Burnham, Jr. - Dover Publications - 1978WARNING: this online page is strictly experimental, lots of changes should be expected within a matter of days or weeks, or months. The definitive look of this page is uncertain...
About Burnham's Celestial Handbook
Indeed, this is NOT a moonbook, BUT... from a dedicated bookworm's perspective it's very interesting to try to search every one of the names which were printed all over the pages in each one of Burnham's three volumes! (names of astronomers, astrophysicists, astrophotographers, selenographers (!), writers, poets, painters, music composers, etcetera... etcetera...) (believe it or not... even Salvador Dali is mentioned in this sky-observer's handbook!).
Robert Burnham Jr. didn't made an alphabetic index of all the persons in his handbook, which is a pity because it would have been VERY handy if there was one!
Now... in 2003 both Christof Plicht and Arndt Latusseck (veritable Burnham aficionados!) made a PDF version of their own Burnham-index (WITH PAGE NUMBERS!!!):
www.hs.uni-hamburg.de/DE/Oef/Stw/www.plicht.de/chris/files/docs/bchindex.pdf But... I would like to add something special to it... (Wikipedia links).
If all goes well, this new index should appear here in the (near?) future (I hope...).
We could ask profound questions about the usefulness of Burnham's Celestial Handbook. How do astronomers and astrophysicists of today think about this (quite "old")(1978) handbook while they explore the most remote outskirts of the universe?
Anyway, Burnham's is still a most interesting source to detect lots of names of many less-known (say: almost unknown) astronomers of the pre-digital era!
Important for us: most of those less-known and unknown astronomers have their name on the MOON (official IAU nomenclature).
Danny Caes, Ghent - Belgium - DannyCaes DannyCaes May 15, 2015
About Robert Burnham, Jr.
Here are the very first bits and pieces of the new index, online since sunday the 17th of May 2015 (for page numbers visit Christof Plicht's and Arndt Latusseck's PDF version of Burnham's index, see link above).
Part 1: A to H (Part 2: I to P) (Part 3: Q to Z)
A (Vols 1, 2, and 3)
Abell, G.O./ Aben Ezra/ Abetti/ Abney, W./ Abt, H.A./ Achilles/ Adams, B./ Adams, John Couch/ Adams, W./ Adams, Walter Sydney/ Admiral Smyth (William Henry Smyth, frequently mentioned throughout the book as Admiral Smyth)/ Ahmad Ibn Yusuf/ Airy, Miss/ Aitken, Robert Grant/ Al Biruni/ Al Friuzabadi/ Al Kazwini/ Al Sufi (Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi)/ Albrecht, S./ Alcaino, G./ Alcock, G.E.D./ Alden, Harold Lee/ Alexander, J.B./ Ali Ibn Ridwan/ Allen, Clabon Walter/ Allen, Richard Hinckley (R.H.Allen is frequently mentioned on almost every page) (R.H.Allen was the author of Starnames - their Lore and Meaning)/ Aller, L.H./ Altobelli/ Ambartsumian, V./ Ames, Adelaide (see also at Shapley, Harlow)/ Amr Al Kais/ Anaxagoras/ Anderson, John August/ Anderson, T.D./ Andrews, A. David/ Appelquist, N.L./ Aratus/ Archer, S./ Argelander, Friedrich Wilhelm August/ Arion/ Aristotle/ Arnold, Matthew/ Arp, Halton Christian "Chip"/ Arthur (King)/ Ashbrook, Joseph/ Asimov, Isaac/ Astbury, T.H./ Augustus (Emperor)/ Aurier, Albert/ Auwers, Georg Friedrich Julius Arthur von
B (Vols 1, 2, and 3)
Baade, Wilhelm Heinrich Walter/ Babcock, H. (Harold Delos Babcock or perhaps his son Horace Welcome Babcock)/ Backhouse, T.W./ Bacon, Francis/ Bailey, Solon Irving/ Baily/ Baize, Paul Achille-Ariel/ Baker, N./ Balasoglo, V./ Ball, Sir Robert/ Bancroft, George/ Barker, Thomas (meteorologist and astronomer, known of the "red Sirius" mystery) (Was Sirius a Red Star in Ancient Times?)/ Barkhatova, K.A./ Barnard, Edward Emerson (frequently mentioned throughout the book)/ Barnes, J.V./ Barns, C.E./ Baum, W./ Baxendell, Joseph/ Bayer, Johann/ Beardsley, W.R./ Becker, W./ Becklin, E.E./ Becvar, Antonin/ Beljawsky, S./ Bell, Dame (Susan) Jocelyn Burnell (see also Hewish, Antony at H below)/ Bell, R.A./ Belopolsky, Aristarkh Appolonovich/ Belton, M.J.S./ Bennett, J.C./ Berman, L./ Bernhard, H.J./ Bertiau, F.C./ Bessel, Friedrich Wilhelm/ Bessell, M.S./ Bevis, John/ Bianchini, A./ Bidelman, W.P./ Bierce, Ambrose/ Binnendijk, L./ Birmingham/ Birt (which is probably the meteorologist and selenographer William Radcliffe Birt)/ Blaauw, A./ Blaeuw, Willem/ Blanco, V.M./ Bode, Johann Elert/ Bok, Bartholomeus Jan "Bart"/ Bolton, J.G./ Bond (I have to find out if this is William Cranch Bond or George Phillips Bond, or perhaps... another Bond?)/ Borgman, J./ Boss, Lewis/ Bowen, Ira Sprague/ Boyarchuk, A.A./ Boyce (Colin and Kevin)/ Breger, M./ Bradley, J./ Brahe (Tycho Brahe)/ Breger, M./ Brown, H./ Brown, R.H./ Brown, Robert jr./ Brunowski/ Bryant/ Buchanan, R.W./ Budge, E.W.A./ Buffham/ Burbidge, Eleanor Margaret + Burbidge, Geoffrey Ronald/ Burd, S./ Burg, Prof./ Burnham jr., R./ Burnham, Sherburne Wesley (frequently mentioned throughout the book), Burns, K./ Burritt, E.H./ Byron, Lord.
Note:
Boyce (both brothers Colin and Kevin, on page 1) seem to be forgotten in C.Plicht's and A.Latusseck's PDF version of their own Burnham index.
C (Vols 1, 2, and 3)
Caesar, Julius/ Caesius, Philip/ Cameron, R.C./ Campbell, L. (Leon?)/ Campbell, William Wallace/ Cannon, A.J./ Canova, Antonio/ Capra/ Carlyle, Thomas/ Carrington/ Cassini, G.D./ Catchpole, R.M./ Catullus/ Cellini, Benvenuto/ Ceraski, L./ Ceraski, W./ Cesco, Carlos Ulrrico/ Chacornac, J./ Chandler, Seth Carlo/ Chandrasekhar, Subrahmanyan/ Chang Te-hsiang/ Charles I. (King of England)/ Charles II. (King of England)/ Chaucer/ Chou K’o-ming/ Christy, R.F./ Churms, J./ Chytraeus, David/ Cicero (Marcus Tullius Cicero)/ Clark, Alvan/ Clarke, Athur C./ Clavius/ Clerke, Agnes Mary/ Cocke, W.J./ Coleridge/ Columella (Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella)/ Confucius/ Conon/ Conrad J.R./ Copeland, Dr./ Copeland, L. S./ Couderc, P./ Couteau, P./ Cowley, A.P./ Cox, A.N./ Cragg, T.A./ Crampin, D.J./ Crampton, D./ Crossley, E./ Cudworth, K.L./ Cudworth, K.M./ Cuffey, J./ Cuppy, Will/ Curtis, Heber Doust/ Cysatus
D (Vols 1, 2, and 3)
D’Agelet/ D’Angos, Chevalier/ d'Arrest, Heinrich Louis/ Dali, Salvador/ Daniel (probably Zaccheus Daniel)/ Danielson, R.E./ Danjon, A./ Dante/ Danziger, I.J./ Darquier, Antoine/ Davidson, K./ Davies, John/ Davies, R.D./ Dawes, W./ Dawes/ Dawson, Bernhard/ Day, C.A./ de Caro, E./ de Cheseaux/ de Groff, Kent/ De Sitter, A./ de Vaucouleurs, Gerard Henri/ Dee, John/ Dembowski/ Demers, S./ Democritus/ Denning, William Frederick/ Derham, W./ Dershem, E./ Deutsch, A.J./ Dieterlen, G./ Digges, Leonard (here we have a little mystery, because it is not clear if this Leonard Digges is Leonard Digges the writer, or Leonard Digges the scientist...)/ Diodorus of Sicily/ Diodorus/ Disney, M.J./ Doig, P./ Doolittle, E./ Draper, Henry/ Drayton, Michael/ Dreyer, John Louis Emil/ Dreyer/ Duncan, J.C./ Duner/ Dunlop, J./ Duyvendak, J.J.
E (Vols 1, 2, and 3)
Earl of Rosse/ Ebbighausen, Edwin G./ Eddington, Sir Arthur/ Edgecomb, D.W./ Edkins, Joseph/ Eggen, Olin Jeuck (frequently mentioned throughout the book, mostly together with Jesse Leonard Greenstein)/ Einstein, Albert/ Eiseley, Loren/ Ekai/ Eliot, T.S./ Ellis, William/ Elvey/ Elvius, A./ Emberson, R.M./ Emerson/ Epps, E./ Eratosthenes/ Espin, T.E./ Euainetos/ Evans, Arthur/ Evans, D.S./ Evans, Joan
F (Vols 1, 2 and 3)
Fabricius, David/ Fantoli, A./ Faraggiana, R./ Fath, E.A./ Faulkner, D.J./ Feast, M.W./ Feige, J./ Feltz jr., K.A./ Fernie, J.D./ Fessenkov, V.G./ Fields, W.C./ Finsen/ Fitch, W.S./ Flaccus, Valerius/ Flammarion/ Flamsteed/ Fleming, Miss/ Fleming, W./ Fleming/ Fletcher/ Flinders Petrie, W.M./ Fowler, W.A./ Fox, Philip/ Franklin, K.L./ Franz, Nicholas/ Franz, O. Dr./ Frazer, Sir James/ Fredrick, L. Dr./ Fritsch, K./ Frolov, M.S./ Frost, E.B./ Fujiwara
Note:
Franz, Nicholas (page 1) seems to be forgotten in C.Plicht's and A.Latusseck's PDF version of their own Burnham index.
G (Vols 1, 2, and 3)
Galileo, G./ Galle, J./ Gamow, G./ Gaposchkin, C.P./ Gaposchkin, S./ Gardner, F.F./ Garrison, R.F./ Garstang, R.H./ Gasteyer, C./ Gaustad, J.E./ Geminus/ Gemma, Cornelius (Cornelius Gemma)/ Gennaro, A./ Giacconi, R./ Gibson, J./ Giclas, Henry/ Gill, W.W./ Gingerich, O./ Glasby, J.S./ Gledhill, J./ Gliese, W./ Gluck/ Goldstein, Bernhard R./ Gonzales, G./ Goodricke, John/ Gore, J.E./ Gothard/ Gottlieb, E.W./ Gould, B.A./ Goyette, Terry Charles/ Grant/ Greenbaum, I./ Green, Cleo Ray/ Greenstein, Jesse Leonard (frequently mentioned throughout the book, mostly together with Olin Jeuck Eggen)/ Griaule, M./ Grondal, Florence A./ Gully, L./ Gum, C.S./ Guntzel-Lingner/ Guthnick, P./ Gutierrez-Moreno, A./ Gutman, F./ Gwydyon
Note:
Green, Cleo Ray (page 1) and Goyette, Terry Charles (page 1) seem to be forgotten in C.Plicht's and A.Latusseck's PDF version of their own Burnham index.
H (Vols 1, 2, and 3)
Haase, V.E./ Hack, M./ Hadrian/ Haefner, R./ Haffner, H./ Hafiz of Persia/ Haggard, H. Rider/ Haintzel/ Haldane, J. B. S./ Hall, A./ Hall, John S., Dr./ Hall, R. C./ Hall, R. G./ Halley, E./ Halliburton, Richard/ Hamilton, Edith/ Hansford, S. Howard/ Harding, K.L./ Haro, (G.)/ Harris, D.E./ Harris, D.L./ Hartmann, F./ Hartung, E.J./ Hartwick, F.D.A./ Hartwig, E./ Harvey/ Hayashi, C./ Hayne, W.H./ Hazard, C./ Head, Barclay V./ Healy, David/ Heckmann, O./ Heff, J.S./ Heintz, W.D./ Heis/ Hencke/ Henderson/ Henize, K.G. (NASA astronaut Karl Gordon Henize?)/ Henroteau, F./ Henry, Paul and Prosper/ Hepidannus/ Herbig, G.H./ Herschel, Caroline/ Herschel, John/ Herschel, William/ Hertzsprung, E./ Hesiot/ Hevelius/ Hewish, A./ Hewitt, J.F./ Higgins, Captain/ Hill, Abraham/ Hill, G./ Hills, J.G./ Hiltner, W.A./ Hilton, James/ Hind, J.R./ Hipparchus/ Hjellming, R.M./ Hoag, A.A./ Hoffmeister, Cuno/ Hogg, H.B.S./ Hogg, H.S./ Holden, Dr. F./ Holden, E.S. (I.S.??)/ Holetschek/ Holmberg, E./ Holmes, Bill James/ Holmes, Sherlock/ Holst, Gustav/ Homer/ Hood, Thomas/ Hooke, Robert/ Hopmann, J./ Horace/ Hough, G.W./ Houston, Walter Scott (aka Scotty Houston)/ Howe, H.A./ Howells, William Dean/ Hoyle, F./ Hsuan, Ouyang and Toktaga/ Huang, S./ Hubble, E./ Huggins, William/ Huggins/ Hui-tsung/ Humason, M.L./ Humboldt/ Hussey, W.J./ Hutchings, J.B./ Huygens/ Hyde, Thomas/ Hyginus
Note:
Holmes, Bill James (page 1) and Howe, H.A. (page 98) seem to be forgotten in C.Plicht's and A.Latusseck's PDF version of their own Burnham index.
