Another $0.02: A simple measure of Burnham's genius is the fact that no on - NO ONE - has even tried to produce a comparable work or even update his. (Although I have heard rumors that there may be someone attempting to update Burnham's.) Even with an update, most of the data and all of the personal observations will remain unchanged. In the end, his is a sad tale its true, but when I pick up my Burnham's I always marvel at his work. How he ended his life never comes to mind. I hope I can be remembered for something even remotely as important as the Celestial Handbook.

-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Gibson [mailto:xajax99@yahoo.com]
Sent: Friday, December 19, 2003 8:36 AM
To: Utah Astronomy
Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Out of the Blue

Brent

I had not and do not intended to cast any dispersion on Burnham or his work. My remark was perhaps a failed attempt at a little humor, and I intended to refer back to what Jim, Kim and Chuck said about how magnitudes were formerly derived from photographic plates in the blue spectra; hence - "out of the blue".

I really like my Burnham books and I suspect that they will by my standard for a long time to come.

Jim

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