On Wed, 19 Feb 1997, Andrew J Hoffman wrote:

> His knowledge of astronomy was pretty good for an amatuer,
> but that was because scientific knowledge was valued highly in
> his social and cultural set and not because he had any special
> interest in space.

According to Albert Bigelow Paine in _Mark Twain: A Biography_,
chapter CCLXXXIII "Astronomy and Dreams" --

"Few things gave him more pleasure than the contemplation of
such figures as these.  We made occasional business trips to
New York, and during one of them visited the Museum of Natural
History to look at the brontosaur and the meteorites and the
astronomical model in the entrance hall.  To him these were
the most fascinating things in the world."

Twain's awareness of astronomical research of his time translated
into a least two humorous sketches: "The New Planet" and "A Curious
Pleasure Excursion".

Barb