Willmann-Bell Will Soon Be Back in Business!

We are pleased to announce that the American Astronomical Society (AAS) has acquired the inventory, author contracts, and related assets of Willmann-Bell, Inc., the esteemed publisher of astronomical books, atlases, and software since 1973 (see our press release). We expect to make Willmann-Bell titles available for purchase through Sky & Telescope’s online store, ShopAtSky.com, by the end of October.

The addition of Willmann-Bell’s product line comes just two years after the acquisition of Sky & Telescope (S&T). The AAS is now a premier publisher not only of research journals and ebooks but also of a monthly magazine and a wide assortment of star atlases, observing handbooks, celestial globes, and other products serving the astronomical community, including scientists, hobbyists, students, and other enthusiasts.

We will announce both here and on S&T’s website when we’re ready to take orders for Willmann-Bell products. Why can’t we accept such orders now? Because we are relocating Willmann-Bell’s inventory (some 22 tons of it!) and ShopAtSky’s inventory (which includes tons more books, atlases, and back issues of Sky & Telescope) to a new ecommerce fulfillment contractor as well as updating our store website. These changes will greatly improve our ability to provide quality products and timely service to our customers.

We anticipate keeping most of Willmann-Bell’s existing books available indefinitely, including such high-demand titles as the Uranometria 2000.0 star atlas and the multivolume Night Sky Observer’s Guide. We plan to publish new volumes in the popular Annals of the Deep Sky series; Volume 8 is already printed and bound and will be available for immediate shipment once we begin accepting new orders. And we intend to commission new titles to appear under the AAS/S&T/Willmann-Bell imprint.

The Society salutes Perry and Patricia Remaklus, the founders of Willmann-Bell, on a lifetime of innovative publishing in support of astronomy and the exploration and enjoyment of the night sky. The AAS Board of Trustees has named them Patrons of the Society, a special honor reserved for those who significantly assist the AAS as we pursue our mission to enhance and share humanity’s scientific understanding of the universe.