Burnham

When astronomers talk about "Burnham," they are usually referring to one of two legendary figures: **Sherburne Wesley Burnham**, the 19th-century master of double stars, or **Robert Burnham Jr.**, the man who wrote the "bible" of amateur astronomy in the 1960s.

While S.W. Burnham created the massive *General Catalogue of Double Stars*, the database most beloved by modern hobbyists is the one found in **Burnham’s Celestial Handbook**.

History & Who Made It

**Robert Burnham Jr.** was an astronomer at the Lowell Observatory. Between **1966 and 1978**, he self-published (and later released through Dover) a three-volume work that remains the single most impressive "one-man" project in astronomical literature.

Burnham didn't just list objects; he provided a deep, soulful, and scientifically rigorous biography of every interesting thing in the sky, organized constellation by constellation. He famously wrote these while working at the observatory, often typing late into the night.

The Purpose: The Universal Field Guide

The purpose of the Burnham database was to create a "Celestial Encyclopedia." Burnham felt that other catalogs were too dry. He wanted to provide:

• Identification:** Detailed tables of stars and deep-sky objects.

• Context:** The history, mythology, and scientific data (distance, luminosity, etc.) for each.

• The "Experience":** Poetic descriptions that helped an observer understand the sheer scale of what they were seeing through the eyepiece.

What Objects Can Be Found In It?

Burnham’s database is arguably the most "extensive" in terms of variety. It covers everything from the nearest stars to the most distant galaxies visible in a mid-sized telescope.

The Breakdown (Thousands of Objects):

• Double and Multiple Stars:** Thousands of entries. Burnham was obsessed with "the dance of the stars" and provided orbital data for hundreds of binary systems.

• Variable Stars:** Extensive tables and light curves for stars that change in brightness.

• Deep-Sky Objects:** Every Messier object, most of the "best" NGC objects (galaxies, nebulae, clusters), and many obscure ones.

• Proper Motion Stars:** Stars that are moving fast enough across the sky to be noticed over a human lifetime (like **Barnard’s Star**).

Summary of the Burnham Database (Flat Text)

Catalog Name: Burnham’s Celestial Handbook

Creator: Robert Burnham Jr. (Lowell Observatory)

Published: 1966 (original), 1978 (Dover edition)

Structure: 3 Volumes, 2,138 pages, organized by Constellation

Estimated Catalog Totals:

• Double & Multiple Stars: ~7,000+

• Variable Stars: ~2,000+

• Deep Sky Objects (Galaxies/Nebulae/Clusters): ~1,500+

• Historical/Mythological Entries: Over 500 distinct essays

Volume Breakdown:

• Volume 1: Andromeda through Cetus

• Volume 2: Chamaeleon through Orion

• Volume 3: Pavo through Vulpecula

The Tragic Legacy

There is a bit of a "human" sadness to this database. Despite the *Handbook* being a massive bestseller, Robert Burnham Jr. received very little in royalties due to a poor contract. He died in obscurity in 1993, unaware of how much he was revered by the community.

Today, "Burnham" is considered essential equipment. Even though some of the distances are outdated (thanks to modern satellites like Gaia), his descriptions of the "silver-needle" galaxies and "blood-drop" carbon stars have never been surpassed.

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