Happy Birthday, E.E. Barnard.

[ollypenrice]

Tomorrow is Edward Emmerson Barnard's birthday. He was born in 1857 and is one of the greatest astronomers in history. If you don't know his story you should treat yourself and read up on it because it is inspriation all the way. Born into abject poverty and hardly educated in school at all as a child, he suffered privation in the Civil War and yet rose to great celebrity and reputation. The catalogues are full of his discoveries and he was one of the fathers of astrophotography. He was probably the last great astronomer at the eyepiece and the last not to be an astrophysicist. Barnard was also a wonderful man, kind, humane, principled and passionate about his studies. When the wealthy Percival Lowell was persuading everyone that there were canals on Mars Barnard said quietly, 'I can't see them.' 

This is a heartwarmer; http://www.amazon.com/The-Immortal-Fire-Within-Emerson/dp/0521046017

Happy Birthday, Edward.

Olly

[Peter Drew]

+1 

[Knight of Clear Skies]

A real pioneer, some of his photographs are available here.

The Needle galaxy.

[ollypenrice]

A real pioneer, some of his photographs are available here.

The Needle galaxy.

Superb link. Thanks!

Olly

[reddoss]

You can also search his Photographic Atlas of Selected Regions of the Mliky Way online. Most of his early photographic plates from the two volumes of his atlas have been digitized. See the link below.

http://www.library.gatech.edu/bpdi/bpdi.php

[ollypenrice]

You can also search his Photographic Atlas of Selected Regions of the Mliky Way online. Most of his early photographic plates from the two volumes of his atlas have been digitized. See the link below.

http://www.library.gatech.edu/bpdi/bpdi.php

I have this book. It's a real delight. An originial might just be beyond my means!!

Olly

[reddoss]

The North American Nebula from Barnard's atlas- not bad  for 1905!!!!! 

[Nightfly]

I just got done reading Sheehan's book, The Immortal Fire Within.  A tremendous read and have not forgiven myself for not reading it sooner, but it is rather expensive for a paperback.  Worth every penny now that I have completed it.  

I have a very special spot for Barnard as an observer and photographer of dark nebulae.  Like Barnard, I still manually guide long exposure emulsion with nothing but a clock drive and a guiding eyepiece for hours at a time, mostly with portrait lenses on medium format film.  Barnard's work has inspired and continues to do so.  After reading the biography I certainly have greater appreciation for him.

I'm the number one fan of the man from Tennessee.

[ollypenrice]

I just got done reading Sheehan's book, The Immortal Fire Within.  A tremendous read and have not forgiven myself for not reading it sooner, but it is rather expensive for a paperback.  Worth every penny now that I have completed it.  

I have a very special spot for Barnard as an observer and photographer of dark nebulae.  Like Barnard, I still manually guide long exposure emulsion with nothing but a clock drive and a guiding eyepiece for hours at a time, mostly with portrait lenses on medium format film.  Barnard's work has inspired and continues to do so.  After reading the biography I certainly have greater appreciation for him.

I'm the number one fan of the man from Tennessee.

Joint number one, Jim!     

Olly