Sherburne Wesley Burnham (December 12, 1838 – March 11, 1921) was an American astronomer.

For more than 50 years Burnham spent all his free time observing the heavens, mainly concerning himself with binary stars.

While in New Orleans, he bought a copy of a popular book Geography of the Heavens,[3] which piqued his interest in astronomy.

From 1872–1877, with his small 15 cm (5.9 in) telescope, Burnham found 451 new double stars, with the help of a European astronomer, baron Dembowski, who measured exact positions and separations of Burnham’s newly discovered binaries.

[4] The lunar crater Burnham and asteroid 834 Burnhamia were named in his honour.