Robert Burnham, Jr.

Robert Burnham Jr. (June 16, 1931 – March 20, 1993) was an American astronomer, discoverer of comets and the minor planet 3397 Leyla. He is best known for writing the classic three-volume Burnham's Celestial Handbook. The main-belt asteroid 3467 Bernheim was named in his honor.

Burnham was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1931, the son of Robert Sr. and Lydia. His family moved to Prescott, Arizona, in 1940, and he graduated from high school there in 1949. That was the culmination of his formal education. Always a shy person, he had few friends, never married, and spent most of his time observing with his home-built telescope.

In the fall of 1957 he received considerable local publicity when he discovered his first comet. This led to his being hired by Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, in 1958 to work on a survey of stellar proper motion using a blink comparator. While Burnham was working at Lowell, he and his co-worker, Norman G. Thomas, discovered five more comets (including 56P/Slaughter-Burnham), and numerous asteroids.

In addition to his regular duties at the observatory, Burnham spent almost all of his free time working on the Celestial Handbook. His writing and his book were never officially supported by Lowell Observatory. Subtitled "An Observer's Guide to the Universe Beyond the Solar System", the 2,138 page Burnham's Celestial Handbook combines a lengthy introduction to astronomy with catalog information for every constellation in the sky. Hundreds of photographic plates, tables, charts, and diagrams are included along with a vast amount of scientific and observing information, star lore, history, and even a little poetry. Thousands of stars and deep sky objects visible in small telescopes are covered in meticulous detail.

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