Astronomy
Table of Contents
Scope
Oxford Reference Online defines Astronomy as “The study of the space beyond the Earth and its contents; phenomena in the Earth's upper atmosphere that have their origin in space, such as aurorae and meteors, are also included.”
The Astronomy resources below focus on the northern hemisphere. Resources described are intended for use in a public library context, although some resources and databases are applicable in academic settings as well.
Online Reference Sources
General
Solar System and 'Beyond'
AbsoluteAstronomy.com - Quick facts on the planets and selected moons, constellations, stars, Messier objects, nebulas and galaxies.
The Astronomical Almanac Online
Complete Sun and Moon data for One Day
Deep Sky Atlas
Earth and Moon Viewer
Earth Observatory: Data and Images & also ESA's Satellite Images
Heavens Above - Developed and maintained by Chris Peat. Provides tracking data by location on the International Space Station, Genesis-1 and Evisat; also covered are iridium flares, lunar and some planetary data.
JPL Solar System Simulator
The Eight Planets : A Multimedia Tour of the Solar System - a version for kids is also available
The Exploratorium Presents Auroras & Solar Max
Lunar Atlases at the Lunar and Planetary Institute
The Planets - Form generates a list of what constellation each planet is in for each month of a specified year; includes a constellation abbreviation table.
Skywatching: Earth and Sky
Views of the Solar System
SpaceWeather.com - "News and information about meteor showers, solar flares, auroras, and near-Earth asteroids"
Your Sky - Created by John Walker. Generates a constellations map based on location, by latitude and longitude or specific city. Help section explains the graphic, its celestial orientation and allows manipulation of the map display.
Space Missions
Student and Child Education
College and University Students
AstronomyCenter.org - A collection of digital resources for college-level introductory astronomy faculty and students. by the American Astronomical Society, the American Association of Physics Teachers, and the NSF-NSDL.
University of Tennessee Astronomy 161 & 162 Lectures The Solar System & Stars, Galaxies and Cosmology - For high school or undergraduate astronomy students.
For Kids
Free Databases
ARI Bibliographical Database for Astronomical References
“Astronomy & Space” topic links at Science.gov
arXiv.org e-Print archive
SIMBAD Astronomical Database - “Basic data, cross-identifications, bibliography and measurements for astronomical objects outside the solar system.”
NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database (NED)
The Smithsonian/NASA Astrophysics Data System & Abstract Query Service
Databases for Colleges and Universities
IEEE/IEE Electronic Library (IEEE Xplore): available at: SFU, UBC, UNBC, UVic, VIU
INSPEC: available at: BCIT, SFU, UVic
IOP (Institute of Physics): available at: SFU, TRU, TWU, UFV, UNBC, UVic
ISI Web of Science: available at: RRU, SFU, TRU, TWU, UFV, UBC, UNBC, UVic, VIU
(Sometimes listed as Science Citation Index and Social Sciences Citation Index)
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS): available at: SFU, UBC, UVic
PROLA (Physical Review Online Archive): available at: TWU
General Science Index: BCIT, CAM, CAP, CNC, COTR, ECUAD, KPU, LC, NIC, NLC, NWCC, OC, RRU, SC, SFU, TRU, TWU, UBC, UFV, UNBC, UVic, VIU, YC
Applied Science & Technology Index: BCIT, CAM, CAP, CNC, COTR, ECUAD, KPU, LC, NIC, NLC, NWCC, OC, RRU, SC, SFU, TRU, TWU, UBC, UFV, UNBC, UVic, VIU, YC
SPIN Physics Database: available at: UBC, UVic
Books
Children
Murdin, Paul and Margaret Penston, eds. 2004. The Firefly encyclopedia of astronomy. Buffalo, New York: Firefly Press. - Good starting point for school students.
Also check out CSA Kids Bookshelf and NASA's Children's Space Resources for additional recommendations.
General
Bakich, Michael E. 2003. The Cambridge encyclopedia of amateur astronomy. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Levy, David H., Larry A.; Lebofsky, Nancy R Lebofsky. 1997. Sharing the sky : a parent's and teacher's guide to astronomy. New York: Plenum Press.
Mitton, Jacqueline. 2001. Cambridge dictionary of astronomy. New York: Cambridge University Press.
General to advanced definitions with context, some diagrams.
Porter, John Guy, Patrick Moore, eds. Yearbook of Astronomy. New York: W.W. Norton.
Ridpath, Ian ed. 2004. Norton’s star atlas and reference handbook, epoch 2000.0. New York: Pi Press. Recommended for beginning astronomers.
Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. The Observer’s handbook. Toronto: Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.
Scholars
Tirion, Wil., et al. (2001). Uranometria 2000.0 Deep sky atlas (Vols. 1-3). Richmond,
VA: Willmann-Bell. - Advanced reference books, 3 vols. including index. Extensive charts marking the location of over 30,000 deep sky objects.
Zombeck, M. V. 1982, 1990. Handbook of space astronomy and astrophysics. 2nd ed. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Available online; 3rd ed. (c2006) available in print form.
See also Core List of Astronomy Books
Image Collections
Individuals and Astrophotography
Other Image Collections
Subject Guides
“Astronomical Resources on the Internet.” from Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship, Spring 2002. - “For librarians who serve a scientific or technical clientele, and any person interested in learning more about astronomy and astronomical information services.”
\"Astronomy 161 Web Resources\" - for K-12 students and the general public.
“Best Information on the Net – Astronomy Resources” O’Keefe Library, Saint Ambrose University - General and undergrad resources.
“Expanding Universe – Classified Search Tool for Amateur Astronomy” Toronto Public Library.
“Resources in Astronomy” from SLA’s “Physics – Astronomy – Mathematics” division.
“SCL Kids – Pathfinders – Astronomy & Constellations” from Strathcona County Library, Alberta.
“SFU Research Guide for Physics” - Some Astronomy resources listed.
“UBC Library Subject Page – Astronomy Resources”
"UVic Library Astronomy Research Guide"
“WebStars: Astrophysics in Cyberspace” - “a resource for users who have a general interest in astronomical topics.”
Digital Libraries
Journals
General
Astronomy (print and online)(US)
Astronomy Now (print and online)(UK)
Sky & Telescope (print and online)(US)
SkyNews Magazine (print and online)(CAN)
Open Access
Apeiron
Information Bulletin on Variable Stars
Journal of Physics and Astronomy
See also Core List of Astronomy and Physics Journals
Associations/Organizations, Institutes and Societies
Associations/Organizations
Institutes
Societies
For additional Societies:
Government
Canada
Europe
European Space Agency - ESA Portal, subdivided into 9 sections. Includes Audio and video podcasts, Mars Express and Envisat image galleries, mission information and MIRAVI Earth Live images.
U.S.
NASA - Portal to the U.S. Space agency with wealth of information for space enthusiasts of all ages. NASA's Multimedia Page is a good place to start.
U.S. Naval Observatory - The “preeminent authority in the areas of Precise Time and Astrometry, and distributes Earth Orientation parameters and other Astronomical Data required for accurate navigation and fundamental astronomy.”
Additional Space Agencies Around the Globe:
Visit the CSA, ESA or NASA's respective pages, which all contain slightly different lists.
Websites & Portals
Portals
AstroWeb - "Astronomy On the Web” - “a collection of pointers to astronomically relevant Internet resources . . . part of the CDS yellow-page services”
Canadian Astronomy Data Centre, Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics - Portal to pages including the archives of the Hubble Space Telescope, and the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, and the International Astronomy Meetings List.
Canadian Astronomy Education - Collection of links for general Astronomy; professional and amateur astronomers; teachers and students.
The Space Science Education Resource Directory (SSERD)
For educators seeking space science educational resources, with curriculum suggestions for students of all ages.
Websites
[http://www.cloudynights.com/Cloudy Nights – Telescope Reviews] - "(assisting) amateur astronomers in better understanding the equipment that goes with the hobby by providing a forum for reviews of telescopes and accessories.”
Astronomy Clubs Worldwide - listing of astronomy clubs, planetariums, space observatories, and museums by country. U.S. entries have subdivisions by state.
Forums, Mailing Lists, Discussion Groups
Bad Astronomy Forums
Online groups at GoogleGroups and Yahoo! Groups
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