Burnhams Celestial Handbook (Robert Burnham)

Volume 1 – Andromeda to Cetus (1966, 1978, 1989)

     Check Amazon for this book: United States (Amazon.com) / International (Amazon.co.uk)

     ISBN 0-486-23567-X

Volume 2 – Chamaeleon to Orion (1966, 1978, 1989)

     Check Amazon for this book: United States (Amazon.com) / International (Amazon.co.uk)

     ISBN 0-486-23568-8

Volume 3 – Pavo to Vulpecula (1978, 1992)

     Check Amazon for this book: United States (Amazon.com) / International (Amazon.co.uk)

     ISBN 0-486-23673-0

How do you review a classic like this one? Ignoring the usual northern hemisphere bias, the three volume work describes a huge range of objects, and generally has something interesting to offer about all of them. Sadly, this great effort is starting to show its age now: it should have been published in a maintainable loose-leaf format by some outfit like Sky & Telescope. Still, that’s easy to say now. Nowhere is its age more apparent than in the physical interpretations of those objects – Wolf-Rayet stars, for example – which have really only begun to become clear today. So, its remaining value is largely as an observational and historical guide where, to my knowledge, it has never been equalled.

Recommendation: All that being said, I’d not suggest buying it unless you’re interested in history. By the time you’ve precessed the coordinates and researched new interpretations, you may as well have consulted something newer.

Look and Feel: My edition is the usual matt-finish paperback, although I believe a hardbound version also exists. The type face is courier and looks mostly like it has been reproduced directly from (manual) typewritten copy. Photographs are matt b&w, and the reproduction somewhat grainy.

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