last edit: 08-03-2019
- under reconstruction  -

I was unable to access this site for some years, I am now in the process of revitalizing it.
In the meantime have a look at www.henkbril.nl

Waiting for the Great American Eclipse
picture by Giena Trip
2017-08-21 - South of Soshoni, USA.

Welcome, I am Henk Bril (1962), stargazer since 1977 and member of the 'Koninklijke Nederlandse Vereniging voor Weer- en Sterrenkunde' (KNVWS) (Royal Dutch Association for Meteorology and Astronomy).

I have a passion for old star charts and maps from the 17th, 18th and 19th Century.
I collect them in order to preserve them for later generations, and to place them on the internet for those interested in old star maps.

My astrohistorica pages are pretty popular and several of my maps have been published in books and magazines.
In 2006 I discovered that the Messier-nebula M109 actually is NGC 3953, and not NGC 3992, which was a wrong identification by Owen Gingerich in 1953.
As a consequence all recent star atlases are wrong on this.

I am fond of comets, occultations, polar lights, noctilucent clouds, eclipses and the Moon.

I was astronomical leader on a trip to Spitsbergen in October 2011 with a 40 meters long sailing ship, the Noorderlicht, - it was an amazing experience!

I am also a big fan of 'classic telescopes' from the last century, especially the Japanese brands of Polarex (Unitron in the USA) and Royal Astro. Above you see my 60mm Polarex NS128 from the early 60's with a so called Unihex rotating eyepiece holder.

In 2005 I was honored with the prestigious "Dr. J. van der Bilt"-award of the KNVWS.

 
One of my most spectacular experiences:
Total Solar Eclipse March 29, 2006.

Henk Bril at the borders of the Zambezi river,
June 2001 (photo: Erna Prillwitz)