Stargazing Adventures Astronomy Links

Stargazing Adventures

This page is no longer updated.

John writes a weekly Sky Report for the Stellar Vista Observatory in Kanab, Utah, and you can access at https://stellarvistaobservatory.org.

Recommended Astronomy Apps

John uses an iPad and iPhone and recommends these apps for stargazers. Find them at the App Store.

SkySafari

A sophisticated and complete program for viewing the sky. It is a detailed zoomable star map that includes thousands of items -- everything you can see in the sky with a large telescope -- shown at any time and from any place. Very highly recommended. With this one app, you don't need much else.

Moon Globe HD

A very detailed photographic globe that shows all you can see with a large telescope, adjustable for the date and time you select, and handy for use at the telescope.

Dark Sky
Shows on a detailed globe of the earth how dark the sky is on average. Useful for planning observing sessions.

Recommended Astronomy Web Sites

I especially recommend "Akkana's Links" at https://shallowsky.com/astrolinks.html

These are among the most useful sites on the web for stargazers.

Heavens Above http://www.heavens-above.com Satellite predictions for your location plus customizable star charts and much more.	Astronomy Picture of the Day http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
Telescope Review Web Site http://www.scopereviews.com Comprehensive reviews of over 100 telescopes and accessories, a beginner's advice column, feature articles, and more.	Lunar Photo of the Day http://the-moon.wikispaces.com/LPOD A photo of the moon each day with caption.
The Messier Catalog http://www.maa.clell.de/Messier/indexes.html Detailed information and photos of the most beautiful objects in the sky including nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies.	Space Weather http://spaceweather.com News and information about the Sun-Earth environment: sunspots, solar activity, aurora, space mission news, and near-Earth asteroids.
The Nine Planets http://www.nineplanets.org A multimedia overview of the history, mythology, and current scientific knowledge of the planets, moons and other objects in our solar system with text and NASA's images.	A Guide to Astrophotography http://www.cctvcamerapros.com/Astronomical-Cameras-Astrophotography-Guide-s/605.htm Astrophotography history, methods, equipment reviews, photos, and resources.
Solar System Live http://www.fourmilab.ch/solar/solar.html An interactive orrery: you can view the entire solar system, or just the inner planets (through the orbit of Mars). Controls allow you to set time and date, viewpoint, observing location, orbital elements to track an asteroid or comet, and a variety of other parameters.	The Astronomy Cafe http://www.astronomycafe.net "A web site for the astronomically disadvantaged. Do you have questions about space that you can't seem to get answers to? Sit down, grab a cup of your favorite beverage, and have a look around!"
Eclipse Home Page http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse.html NASA's eclipse web site with all you could want to know about past, present, and future solar and lunar eclipses.	The Constellations and Their Stars http://www.astro.wisc.edu/%7edolan/constellations Comprehensive information about the constellations.
Astronomy Software http://www.midnightkite.com/software.html Links for hundreds of freeware, shareware, and commercial astronomy programs for Windows, Macintosh, UNIX, and Interactive Web Pages.	ObservingSites.com http://www.observingsites.com Directory lists dozens of observing sites in 36 states and six Canadian provinces -- all contributed by people who enjoy viewing the real universe, away from city lights and haze.
Keith's Moon Page http://home.hiwaay.net/%7ekrcool/Astro/moon/#bmd A collection of moon facts, moon phases, moon photos and moon folklore.	Astronomy Clubs http://www.astronomyclubs.com List of thousands of astronomy clubs around the globe.
International Dark Sky Association http://www.darksky.org An organization dedicated to preserve and protect the nighttime environment and our heritage of dark skies through quality outdoor lighting.	Weekly Information About Bright Comets http://www.aerith.net/comet/weekly/current.html Keep current with comets that appear in our sky.
Ian Ridpath's Star Tales http://www.ianridpath.com/startales/contents.htm Myths, legends, and history of the constellations.	NGC/IC Project http://ngcicproject.org Detailed information with photos for thousands of star clusters, galaxies, and nebulae.
Greek Astronomy http://www-gap.dcs.st-and.ac.uk/%7ehistory/HistTopics/Greek_astronomy.html#s23 Ancient Greek astronomy and astronomers.	Hitchhikers Guide to the Moon http://www.shallowsky.com/moon/hitchhiker.html A guide to telescopic observations of the moon by Akkana Peck, with help from many contributors
Sunheight http://sunheight.free.fr Accurate sun, moon, planet rise/set graphs and data.	Planetary Guide to Outer Space http://www.createqrcodes.org/planetary-guide-to-outer-space.html Links to other astronomy sites, many of them kid-friendly.
Traditions of the Sun http://www.traditionsofthesun.org Native American solar practices, especially at Chaco Canyon.	Bad Astronomy http://www.badastronomy.com Phil Plait's site on bad astronomy -- astronomy misconceptions and errors in the movies and on the news.
Love the Night Sky https://lovethenightsky.com Lessons help new and amateur backyard astronomers get more enjoyment from our wonderful hobby.
Griffith Observatory Star Awards For nine years John supervised the conferral of a "Star Award" to one deserving astronomy web site each week, and this page is a collection of more than 400 wonderful web sites! This is the list as it existed when it was discontinued on John's retirement in 2006. Most of these sites have since disappeared, but that is just a fact of life.

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