PREFACE

The Handbook for 1952 is the 44th issue. Its present circulation is 5000 which we hope will be materially increased in order to meet our mounting expense.

In recent years Dr. F. S. Hogg, who was Assistant Editor, assumed the responsibility of preparing the volume; and his death on the first day of 1951 was a great loss to the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada as well as to the world of Astronomy in general.

No notable change has been made in the present volume. Miss Ruth J. Northcott is now Assistant Editor, and she and Prof. J. F. Heard have rendered great help, as in the past.

Four circular star maps 9 inches in diameter at a price of one cent each, and a set of four maps plotted on equatorial co-ordinates at a price of ten cents, are obtainable from the Director of University Extension, University of Toronto, Toronto 5.

Celestial distances given herein are based on the standard value of 8".80 for the sun’s parallax, not on the more recent value 8".790 determined by Sir Harold Jones; and the calculations for Algol are based on Olin J. Eggen’s epoch 2432520.6303 and period 2.86731525 d., as published in the Astrophysical Journal, 1948.

Our deep indebtedness to the British Nautical Almanac and the American Ephemeris is thankfully acknowledged.

C.A. Chant.
David Dunlap Observatory,
Richmond Hill, Ont., November 1951.