2020-05-01_Astronomy

ASTRONOMY.COM 53

Despite being relatively easy
reads, the two publications
carried impressive titles:
The Geography of the Heavens,
or Familiar Instructions for
Finding the Visible Stars and
Constellations; Accompanied
by a Celestial Atlas, with a
View of the Solar System,
Illustrated by Engravings and
Atlas Designed to Illustrate
Burritt’s Geography of the
Heavens. Each cost $1.25 in
1833, a bit pricey for the text-
book, but a steal for the atlas.
The set was a smash hit. In
the 16th edition, published in
1876, the preface stated that
more than 300,000 copies had
been sold. That number makes

it the most popular star atlas

of the 19th century. In fact, it

wasn’t surpassed in sales until

the mid-20th century, after

numerous editions of Arthur

Philip Norton’s Star Atlas and

Reference Handbook, first pub-

lished in 1910, had appeared.

Who was Burritt?

Elijah Hinsdale Burritt

(his middle name was his

mother’s maiden name) was

born April 20, 1794, in New

Britain, Connecticut. He was

the first of 10 children.

When he was 18, Burritt

ventured to a nearby town to

study for two years to become

a blacksmith. Unfortunately,

he suffered an accident. That,

along with motivation from

his friends, caused him to

enroll in Williams College in

Williamstown, Massachusetts,

where he studied astronomy, a

subject he’d read a lot about

during his recovery.

After a year, his finances

forced him to take up a teach-

ing job in 1817 to earn money

to continue his studies. He

then went back to college, but

in 1819, he left to teach school

(among other pursuits,

including editing a weekly

newspaper) in Milledgeville,

Georgia. He remained there

for 10 years before moving

back to New Britain. While in

Burritt

created this

combination

textbook and

set of maps

specifically

to get

students out

under the

stars.