Astronomy

The study of matter outside the earth's atmosphere, especially the positions, dimensions, distribution, motion, and composition of celestial bodies and phenomena.

Sub-headings:

Astrophysics

Where physics and astronomy merge.

Galactic

The study of the large-scale structure of the universe.

Solar System (Planetary)

Objects with the Earth's solar system, including the Sun, planets, comets, and asteroids.

Spaceflight & Exploration

The exploration of space and the tools for doing so.

Stargazing

Amateur astronomy.

Stellar

The study of stars and star-like objects.

Resources in this category:

Astro/Space Frequently Seen Acronyms
http://tla.surly.org/

A list of frequently used acronyms in astronomy and space-related information.

Astronomiae Historia / History of Astronomy
http://www.astro.uni-bonn.de/~pbrosche/astoria.html

An encylopediac look at the history of astronomy.

Astronomical Society of the Pacific
http://www.astrosociety.org/index.html

Explore the wonders of the universe with one of the largest astronomy societies in the world! The ASP offers comprehensive and current resources for the general public, amateur astronomers, educators, families and children through outreach activities, resource guides, and educational fun.

The Astronomy Cafe
http://www.astronomycafe.net/

Contains tons of information about astronomy and what it is like to be an astronomer. Includes numerous articles and an 'Ask the Astronomer' feature which contains answers to many questions separated by level. Some answers not available for free online, but many are!

Astronomy Picture of the Day
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

A new image of space everyday accompanied by a brief explanation from an astronomer. Images are searchable; archives date back to 1995.

AstroWeb: Astronomical Internet Resources
http://www.cv.nrao.edu/fits/www/astronomy.html

A database of nearly everything related to astronomy on the Internet. Way cool because it is checked automatically for live links three times a day.

CNN Interactive - Space
http://www.cnn.com/TECH/space/archive/

Listings of special coverage of major space events.

Curious About Astronomy? Ask an Astronomer!
http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/index.php

Do you have a question about astronomy? This is the site for you! Ask your astronomy question and get a response from the graduate students and scientists at Cornell University’s Astronomy Department. If you don’t have a specific question in mind, browse some of the past questions and answers to increase your astronomy IQ!

Earth and Sky
http://www.earthsky.org/

The site for the daily science radio series, it includes informative articles/discussions on various topics, news and discoveries in the earth sciences, astronomy, and environmental sciences. Included are sound files and a searchable archive of past programs.

The Galileo Project
http://es.rice.edu/ES/humsoc/Galileo/

"The Galileo Project is a hypertext source of information on the life and work of Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) and the science of his time." Site includes a detailed biography of Galileo, text and images of his personal and professional life, a collection of contemporary maps, and a timeline. An especially interesting feature is the searchable database of 16th and 17th century scientists.

Hubble Heritage Project
http://heritage.stsci.edu/

"Emphasizes compelling Hubble Space Telescope images distilled from scientific data ... piquing curiosity about our astrophysical understanding of the universe we all inhabit." Look at Hubble Space Telescope images and learn about the universe.

Inconstant Moon
http://www.inconstantmoon.com/inconstant.htm

"Explore the Moon... discover its dramatic features and phenomena - often beautiful, sometimes bizarre, always changing. Inconstant Moon will take you on a new tour each night, with maps, photos, explanations, animations, selected links and even music! "

Journey through the Galaxy
http://home.cwru.edu/~sjr16/index.html

An overview of several fields of astronomy, including topics in the solar system, stars and stellar evolution, extrasolar planets, cosmology, and space exploration. Also includes an astronomy glossary.

The Laws List
http://www.alcyone.com/max/physics/laws/

An impressive glossary of physics-related terms and concepts.

MadSciNet: The 24-hour exploding laboratory
http://madsci.org/

Provides an Ask-A-Scientist service, as well as MAD Labs (a collection of demonstrations illustrating science concepts); "The Visible Human"(a digitized guided tour); and the MadSci Laboratory(organized web links for a wide variety of science fields), covering a wide variety of topics.

Marsbugs: The Astrobiology Index
http://www.lyon.edu/projects/marsbugs/

This site provides a channel of information for scientists, educators, and other people interested in life sciences as they relate to planetary science and space exploration. It functions as an informal supplement to the scholarly discourse on the topic.

NASA Glenn Learning Technologies Project
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/index.html

This website provides teachers and students with aerospace technology resources through lessons and activities, free simulations, student videoconferencing, a glossary of related terms, and educator workshops. A teacher's guide to technology creation is also offered. Though the project is no longer funded, excellent resources persist.

NASA's Observatorium
http://physics.ship.edu/~mrc/astro/NASA_Space_Science/observ...

"A public access site for Earth and space data. We have pictures of the Earth, planets, stars, and other cool stuff, as well as the stories behind those images." Searchable.

NED -- The NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database
http://nedwww.ipac.caltech.edu/

"The NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database (NED) is built around a master list of extragalactic objects for which cross-identifications of names have been established, accurate positions and redshifts entered to the extent possible, and some basic data collected.... NED's data and references are being continually updated, with revised versions being put on-line every 2-3 months." Includes a list of frequently asked questions.

PhysLINK: Physics & Astronomy
http://www.physlink.com/

Comprehensive education and reference guide to physics-related Internet resources covering: reference, departments and grad school, societies, journals, history, images, news, jobs, software, new theories, quotations, and fun. Browse by type of resource or use the search function. See the Ask the Experts area for answers to common questions.

PSIgate: Physical Sciences Information Gateway
http://www.psigate.ac.uk/newsite/

"PSIgate aims to provide high quality Internet resources for students, researchers and practitioners in the physical sciences, specifically in: astronomy, chemistry, earth sciences, physics, and science history and policy. Along with the other hubs that make up the RDN, PSIgate provides an online database of relevant, high quality Internet resources, the Internet Resource Catalogue (IRC). Each resource has been selected by information professionals and subject specialists to ensure relevance and quality. A full description of each resource is provided, together with direct access to the resource itself."

The Search for Extrasolar Planets
http://exoplanets.org/

Information about planets found outside of our own solar system. Includes news, almanacs, location, mass, and orbital characteristics.

Sebastopol College Science Learning Area
http://www.sebas.vic.edu.au/links/sci/sci.htm

Sebastopol College in Victoria, Australia, provides this page to organize URL links for a variety of scientific disciplines. By selecting one of the science subject areas - general science, history of science, astronomy/space, biology, chemistry, environmental science, forensic science, geology/paleontology, investigations, physics, or weather/meterology - users are taken to web pages where lists of appropriate URL links are provided. Sebastopol College last tested the links in November 2002. Links to more general URls such as "How Stuff Works" are also included.

SETI Institute
http://www.seti.org/

The mission of the SETI Institute is to explore, understand and explain the origin, nature and prevalence of life in the universe. The SETI Institute is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to scientific research, education and public outreach. Includes a bibliography and a FAQ.

SkyView
http://skyview.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/titlepage.pl

SkyView is a Virtual Observatory on the Net. SkyView generates images of any part of the sky at wavelengths in all regimes from radio to gamma-ray.

Space Calendar
http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/calendar/index.html

"Covers space-related activities and anniversaries for the coming year. Included are over 1,000 links to related home pages." Arranged by date and includes an archive of the past several years.

Space Telescope Science Institute/Hubble Space Telescope Public Information
http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/

Contains links to information considered to be of general interest about the Hubble Space Telescope.

Space.com
http://www.space.com/

"space.com is ... dedicated to space and all space-related subjects. It focuses on news, information, education and entertainment. Our primary mission is the popularization of space. Our commitment is to a greater public understanding and enthusiasm about space and space-related subjects."

WebStars: Astrophysics in CyberSpace
http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/www_info/webstars.html

Contains links to information related to astronomy. It consists of the following topics: astronomy & astrophysics pages, articles about astronomy on the Web, software & icon downloading, WWW technical pages & style guides, High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center(HEASARC)/StarTrax Browse, and other online services.

Why is the sky blue?
http://www.ipl.org/div/farq/skyFARQ.html

Why is the sky blue?

Wolfram|Alpha
http://www.wolframalpha.com/

Wolfram Alpha quickly locates facts, graphs, definitions, tables, numbers, formulas, and other data. Use the "Examples" page to browse and see all the different topics covered.