[AZ-Observing] Re: Robert Burnham Quotes
- From: L Knauth <Knauth@xxxxxxx>
- To: <az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, <az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 11 Aug 2009 22:34:13 -0700
When I was a kid in Houston, Texas, I was running a High School Astronomy Club
when Burnham discovered a comet (circa 1961). I called him in Flagstaff to get
some information on it. He was very friendly and was delighted that someone
had called from "so far away". I was scared initially, and I can remember the
conversation well (even the sound of a screen door closing after his elderly
father called him to the phone). I had asked for "Robert Burnham", and whoever
answered got the father instead of the astronomer! No concept of fame from a
comet discovery in those days.
Burnham Jr. graciously sent me a photo of the comet that he had taken, and I
gave it to the Houston Chronicle. They ran a story, " New Comet, Boy gets word
from discoverer" with a photo of yours truly looking at the picture Burnham
sent. I had taken a summer science course from Walter Haas, who was head of the
ALPO, so I sent it to him as well. Haas ran it in an issue of "The Strolling
Astronomer".
Tom Polakis got a shock when he was reviewing Burnham's scrapbook some time
ago. He came across the Houston Chronicle article that I had sent Burnham!
Amazingly, he recognized me in an early incarnation. No doubt, this provoked
Tom to reflect on the ravages of age.
Burnham was clearly a great guy who was willing to go out of his way to
accommodate some clueless young chap "far away".
Paul
Paul Knauth
Box 871404
School of Earth and Space Exploration
Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ 85287-1404
480-965-2867 (voice)
480-965-8102 (Fax)
http://www.public.asu.edu/~iaclpk/
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