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Burnham's Celestial Handbook: An Observer's Guide to the Universe Beyond the Solar System, Vol. 3

by Robert Burnham Jr. (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars 16 customer reviews
ISBN-13: 978-0486236735
ISBN-10: 0486236730
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 800 pages
  • Publisher: Dover Publications (January 1, 1979)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0486236730
  • ISBN-13: 978-0486236735
  • Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 1.4 x 9.3 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,075,035 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsA book with overwhelming information...
By Amazon Customer on July 10, 2002
Format: Paperback
Being an amateur astronomer I bought this and the other two volumes recently and I have found it indispensible. Im writing this review keeping solely the tyro's in mind, since one knowledgeable in astronomy would have already had this book. If you are getting interested in astronomy, this is the book to buy - it will surely deepen your interest. Get the book and take a journey through the starts that Burnham offers you in the first few pages.
There are plenty of astronomy books for amatuers with fantastic photos. And sometimes it can be intimidating to know what to buy. Burnham's book is worth every penny (and it doesnt cost much either). It does not contain colorful photos (though contains plenty of b&w photos taken from Lowell/Palomar and other observatories). All 88 constellations are dealt with in detail. First a list of double stars are given in each constellation followed by details of each bright star (including spectrum analysis for some). The book is set in "type-writer" font, so it gives a special feeling of reading some research paper.
A unique feature of this book, which is probably not found in any other astronomy book I have come sofar, is that, it also contains a perspective of a given constellation or star by several different cultures. Most astronomy books stop with Greek and Roman myths - giving a feeling that no other culture was knowledgeable in astronomy. Coming from Indian background, I found it very intriguing that Burnham mentions several stories and myths from Indian folklore (including those that I heard from my granny!). For eg, Varahamihira (c 100 AD?) in his "Brihat Samhita" compares Ursa Major (aka called "Seven Sages") to string of pearls. I was surprised to see Burnham mention this.Read more ›
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5.0 out of 5 starsDated, but still my favorite
By A Customer on July 13, 1998
Format: Paperback
For the first few months that I owned these books, I went to bed each night reading them. The quantity of information makes these books the most useful astronomy guides (short of a good atlas) I have ever seen, but it is the extra comments (from theological to philosophical to historical) that make them truly wonderful. Much of the information is badly dated, but if I had to recommend one book to someone who loves to look through telescopes, this would be it, hands down.
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5.0 out of 5 starsMUST have
By COURTOIS Julien on March 22, 2000
Format: Paperback
Even if these 3 books are a little bit outdated (1983), it is still in irreplaceable source of information on all the celestials beauties to be seen on an amateur telescope
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4.0 out of 5 starsAn amateur's delight
By C. M. Levin on January 16, 2012
Format: Paperback
Burnham was an amateur astronomer who made it into the ranks of the professionals back in the Seventies. This is his disllation of the best sights of the deep sky from a lifetime at the eyepiece. Even if you never go beyond the usual showpieces like the Pleiades & the Orion Nebula, this is also a great armchair astronomy book, for he includes a lot of history about these objects, too. Unfortunately, the book could have used an editor, as interesting & useful tabls seem to have been slipped in wherever he wanted to put them in. Also, if you're unaccustomed to star-hopping, he used the old 1950 coordinates, not the 2000 coordinates, which makes this less useful for people with goto scopes.
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5.0 out of 5 starsGreat book set with a history behind it.
By Mike on January 30, 2012
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
First - Research the author's history. Interesting person, and he poured a lot of himself into researching and writing these books. For me, at least, knowing his history and what he accomplished made the books much more interesting. The entire set is three volumes that list the constellations in alphabetical order. Each volume has a section of the alphabet. They don't contain any solar system objects, and even say so on the front of each book. So no one should be confused looking for solar system data while reading.

These books examine the major constellations and the objects that define them. As you read the data on stars, etc., you'll also learn some of their history through the ages. The reader will need to realize that the astronomical facts listed were current when the books were researched and written, but may not be exactly accurate all these years later. They're still pretty close in most cases. Some mythology involved in star naming history is also included.

The books are written in old typewriter style and the pictures are all black and while. Some may not like this format, but I liked seeing more time put into the research and history instead of fancy graphics. In the age of Hubble it's also nice to see some old photos taken with early refractors and the 200 inch Palomar telescope when it was THE best available. Makes an interesting contrast to what we can easily find on the internet today. Those old plates are really intersting to compare to what's available today. Makes you appreciate the Hubble's fantastic photos and how easy we have it today to simply log on and get regularly updated astronomical data and photos in seconds.

Plus - the books look cool sitting on your bookshelf.Read more ›
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4.0 out of 5 starsOld school reference, but still one of the best.
By Amazon Customer on December 11, 2012
Format: Hardcover Verified Purchase
This is an old school reference but still one of the best resources available to amateur astronomers. It is just full of all the information you could ever want about our universe. And it is organized alphabetically to make finding what you're looking for very easy. This is a three volume set. I came across the first two volumes but was missing the third. I was very happy to find the missing volume on Amazon at a very low price allowing me to complete the set. Thanks again Amazon!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 starsFour Stars

Outdated but still useful.

Published 12 months ago by Bernie Venasse
4.0 out of 5 starsFour Stars

Good Book for serious Stargazers.

Published 13 months ago by Jeff Thalheimer
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

Very happy with the purchase and the service, thanks

Published 14 months ago by Chris
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

Great Book. A classic.

Published 19 months ago by DMK
3.0 out of 5 starsit's a Classic...it deserve updates

Although the images and text, today is much more sophisticated, it is always good to learn from the real past. But always the classics deserve a little more sophistication.

Published on March 17, 2014 by Vladimir A. Fajardo R
5.0 out of 5 starsExcellent

This book arrives soon and In perfect condition. I looked for a long time and I am very satisfied with the purchase.

Published on October 23, 2013 by LAH
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

3 volume set of these refs are spectacular!

Published on February 17, 2013 by LJ
5.0 out of 5 starsgood book

this book breaks down the constellations and talks about them in depth. list of stars and ngc / messier objects within each constellation the book covers. Read more

Published on January 30, 2012 by penname
2.0 out of 5 starslet us now praise famous old books

readers of the reviews of burnham's "celestial handbook" on amazon.com may notice that much of the commentary focuses on burnham the man, and very little on the specific content... Read more

Published on September 2, 2010 by drollere

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