EDITOR’S COMMENTS

I am very pleased that once again this Handbook opens with a Foreword by Canada’s most distinguished astronomer, Dr. Helen Sawyer Hogg. Also, it is worthy of note that, 60 years ago, the name “Mr. P. Millman” is cited in the Editor’s comments for assisting with the preparation of The Observer’s Handbookfor 1929.

EDITOR’S COMMENTS

Although the casual user of this Handbook may have the impression that much of it remains the same from year to year, significant additions and/or revisions have been made to 162 of the 212 pages of this, the eightieth edition and the largest ever.

EDITOR’S COMMENTS

EDITOR’S COMMENTS

On behalf of The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada I wish to thank the twenty-four contributors, listed on the inside front cover, without whose support this Handbook would not exist. I particularly wish to acknowledge the many years that Gordon Taylor of the Royal Greenwich Observatory has provided predictions of occultations by asteroids and planets, and to welcome Dr. Robert Millis of Lowell Observatory who has taken over this section.

EDITOR’S COMMENTS

The existence and usefulness of the Observer's Handbook owes much to the several people who voluntarily contribute their time and expertise (see the inside front cover). On behalf of The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, I especially wish to acknowledge the past contributions of Yoshio Kubo (Total and Grazing Lunar Occultations) and John Galt (Radio Sources, and a contributor to this Handbook for 20 years), and welcome Akio Senda and Ken Tapping, respectively, who have taken over these sections.

EDITOR’S COMMENTS

On behalf of The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, I wish to thank the con­tributors to the 1984 observer’s handbook (see the inside front cover). In particular I wish to welcome Fred Espenak (Eclipses), Robert Garrison (The Brightest Stars), and William Herbst (Galactic Nebulae) as new contributors. The latter two replace Donald MacRae (David Dunlap Observatory) and René Racine (Canada-France- Hawaii Telescope) respectively, both of whom have provided valuable support to the handbook over several years.