Robert Burnham Jr.

Did You Know?

• Burnham graduated from high school in Prescott, Arizona, in 1949, which was the culmination of his formal education.
• He discovered his first comet in the fall of 1957, leading to his hiring at Lowell Observatory in 1958.
• Burnham and co-worker Norman G. Thomas discovered over 1500 asteroids.

Burnham's Celestial Handbook

Burnham spent nearly all his free time on the Celestial Handbook while working at Lowell Observatory, though the observatory never officially supported the project. Subtitled "An Observer's Guide to the Universe Beyond the Solar System," the work combines an introduction to astronomy with catalog information for every constellation, covering thousands of stars and deep sky objects visible in small telescopes. Originally self-published in loose-leaf serial form starting in 1966, a revised edition was issued by Dover Publications in 1978. The book received positive reviews in amateur astronomy magazines, became a best seller in its field, and remains in print as a classic of amateur astronomy literature.

Life after Lowell

In April 1979, Burnham was told that the proper motion survey at Lowell Observatory would soon end and that the observatory could not retain him. After months of warning, he made no other arrangements, and his twenty-one-year employment ended in December 1979. He declined the only position offered, that of janitor. Burnham never recovered personally, professionally, or financially. As sales of the Celestial Handbook grew, his personal circumstances worsened; he became more reclusive, bickered with Dover over royalties and possible new editions, and worked sporadically on an unfinished fantasy novel. Never married, he grew bitter and depressed, isolating himself from friends and family. In May 1986 he left Phoenix, Arizona, and dropped out of sight, informing only his publisher. He spent his final years in poverty in San Diego, California, selling his paintings of cats at Balboa Park.

Naming of 3467 Bernheim

Norm Thomas, a colleague of Robert Burnham Jr. at Lowell Observatory, promised to name an asteroid after him. When Thomas found a main-belt asteroid on September 26, 1981, the name Burnham was already taken by 834 Burnhamia, honoring a different astronomer. So Thomas used Bernheim, the Burnham family's original Bohemian surname, for the new asteroid, 3467 Bernheim.