Brian's List of Astronomy & Space Web Sites
The universe is a big place. From asteroids to planets, stars to galaxies, there's a lot to learn when it comes to astronomy. This is a list of websites that will help you get started on your journey to discover the cosmos.
It includes information on several excellent museums that are known for their connection to astronomy science, well known scientists who are involved with spreading science literacy,
and government organizations and top scientific institutions which are leading the way in astrophysics.
Astronomy is my passion and I hope that these sites will help show you just how amazing our universe truly is. Have fun exploring.
- Wikipedia Astronomy Page
- This Wiki page is an excellent starting point for basic information to get you started understanding astronomy. From history to theories to info on amateur astronomy, this page will answer any basic question you may have on the topic of astronomy.
- Astronomy Picture of the Day
- Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Picture of the day has an archive of hundreds of amazing space and science images. Take a look and see the beauty of the cosmos for yourself.
- Astronomy Magazine Official Site
- Astronomy is the world's best-selling astronomy magazine. This site has the latest news on the world of astronomy and physics as well as special content for magazine subscribers.
- Cracked.com Solar System List
- 5 Mind-Blowing Things Found in Our Solar System. Fun and informative, Cracked.com puts a humorous spin on any and all topics they cover, while still providing accurate information. This list is of strange and amazing features found in our very own solar system. ATTENTION: This site contains mature language. Personal discretion is advised.
- NASA Official YouTube Page
- The official NASA YouTube page. Find interviews, concept animation and amazing movies on space and space exploration.
- NOVA Science Now
- Hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson, NOVA Science Now is a PBS series that covers the latest information and research being conducted in various fields of study, with emphasis on the most recent developments and their relevance to your everyday life.
- Wonders of the Universe
- Wonders of the Universe with Brian Cox is a series on the Science Channel. In it Brian Cox eloquently explains science, astronomy, physics and the history surrounding them.
- Cosmic Diary
- A blog site for scientists and professionals in astronomy and physics fields, Cosmic Diary can allow you follow the latest astronomy news and developments from the very people doing the research.
- Astro Pics
- Amazing photographs of the night sky taken from America's great parks and landmarks. Amateur photographer Wally Pacholka has won numerous awards for his stunning and beautiful pictures and he shares them here on AstroPics.com
- Sky and Telescope
- Sky and Telescope is a magazine dedicated to astronomy and
- A Podcast About Astronomy
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- Skynews.ca
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- Astro Mart
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- Space.com
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- Universe Today
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- Science Daily
- This is the astronomy page of Science Daily. With the latest news on all things science, this site is full of information on all fields of scientific research.
- Astronomy Now
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- Phys.org
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- Yahoo Astronomy News
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- Daily Astronomy
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- Astronomy Today
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- Astronomy.co.uk
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- Syzygy
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- Astronomy News.it
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- Astrophys.net/
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- Astronomy-News.net
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- Astronomy-News.com
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- Shafran Planetarium at CMNH
- The Shafran Planetarium at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. With daily showings and special events, this planetarium and museum are an excellent place for school field trips or a day out with the family.
- Great Lakes Science Center
- This amazing science museum is located in Cleveland right on the lake next door to the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame. With many exhibits for kids and adults alike, the Great Lakes Science Center is a must for any and all science fans.
- COSI Science Center
- Located in Columbus, Ohio, COSI Science Center has many hands on science activities for kids of all ages. A great place to spend a day, COSI educates and entertains at the same time.
- Hayden Planetarium at AMNH
- American Museum of Natural History in New York City is the home of the Hayden Planetarium. The planetarium's director, Neil deGrasse Tyson, is involved with research and education. While in New York, the American Museum of Natural History and Hayden Planetarium is a must see.
- Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
- The Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum maintains the largest collection of historic air and spacecraft in the world. It is also a vital center for research into the history, science, and technology of aviation and space flight, as well as planetary science and terrestrial geology and geophysics.
- Chabot Space & Science Center
- Chabot Space & Science Center is located in the beautiful Oakland Hills just off Highway 13 in Oakland, California. A Smithsonian affiliate, Chabot is an educational science center whose mission is to educate students of all ages about Planet Earth and the Universe.
- Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Neil deGrasse Tyson was born and raised in New York City where he was educated in the public schools clear through his graduation from the Bronx High School of Science. Tyson went on to earn his BA in Physics from Harvard and his PhD in Astrophysics from Columbia. He is currently the director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York City and is a huge advocate for science research and education.
- Brian Greene
- Professor of Physics & Mathematics at Columbia University, Brian Greene has had many media appearances, from Charlie Rose to David Letterman, and his three-part NOVA special based on The Elegant Universe was nominated for three Emmy Awards and won a Peabody Award.
- Brian Cox
- Professor Brian Edward Cox is an English particle physicist, a Royal Society University Research Fellow and a professor at the University of Manchester. He also hosts the Science channel series Wonders of the Universe.
- Dr. Michio Kaku
- Dr. Michio Kaku is a theoretical physicist, best-selling author, and popularizer of science. He is one of the co-founder of string field theory (a branch of string theory), and continues Einstein’s search to unite the four fundamental forces of nature into one unified theory.
- Bill Nye the Science Guy
- Bill Nye, scientist, engineer, comedian, author, and inventor, is a man with a mission: to help foster a scientifically literate society, to help people everywhere understand and appreciate the science that makes our world work. Making science entertaining and accessible is something Bill has been doing most of his life.
- Alex Filippenko
- Of the University of California, Berkley, Alex Filippenko is the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Distinguished Professor in the Physical Sciences. His research accomplishments, documented in more than 660 published papers, have been recognized by several major prizes, and he is one of the world's most highly cited astronomers. His most significant television appearance was on the History Channel series The Universe.
- NASA
- Everything you would ever want to know about the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
- Kennedy Space Center
- The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA installation that has been the launch site for every United States human space flight since 1968. Although such flights are currently on hiatus, KSC continues to manage and operate unmanned rocket launch facilities for America's civilian space program from three pads at the adjoining Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
- Johnson Space Center Mission Control
- The Mission Control Center at Johnson Space Center directs all space shuttle missions, including international space station assembly flights. MCC also manages all activity onboard the international space station.
- European Space Agency
- The European Space Agency is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
- In 2003, Japan merged its three seperate aerospace and space science agencies into one independent administrative institution. All their activities are now overseen and performed by this one organization, from basic research and development to utilization. The independent administrative institution is the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.
- CERN
- The European Organization for Nuclear Research is one of the world’s largest and most respected centers for scientific research. Its business is fundamental physics, finding out what the Universe is made of and how it works. At CERN, the world’s largest and most complex scientific instruments are used to study the basic constituents of matter — the fundamental particles. By studying what happens when these particles collide, physicists learn about the laws of Nature.
- Hubble Space Telescope
- Home page for the Hubble Space Telescope. Hubble is the most significant scientific instrument ever built. While others have done more to expand our knowledge of the universe, Hubble brought amazing pictures of the universe to the general public. This sparked interest in space not seen since the Apollo missions.
- James Webb Space Telescope
- Successor to the Hubble, the James Webb Space Telescope is a large, infrared-optimized space telescope. The project is working to a 2018 launch date. Webb will find the first galaxies that formed in the early Universe, connecting the Big Bang to our own Milky Way Galaxy. Webb will peer through dusty clouds to see stars forming planetary systems, connecting the Milky Way to our own Solar System.
- Institute for Astronomy
- The Institute for Astronomy is a research institute within the University of Hawai‘i, with offices and laboratories on O‘ahu, Maui, and Hawai‘i Island, plus observatories on the summits of Mauna Kea and Haleakalā. With a staff of 81 PhDs from 26 different countries, this is one of the largest university astronomy programs in the world.
- Very Large Array
- National Radio Astronomy Observatory's Very Large Array is one of the world's premier astronomical radio observatories. Consisting of 27 radio antennas in a Y-shaped configuration on the Plains of San Agustin fifty miles west of Socorro, New Mexico. Each antenna is 82 feet in diameter. The data from the antennas is combined electronically to give the resolution of an antenna 22 miles across, with the sensitivity of a dish 422 feet in diameter.
- European Southern Observatory
- The Very Large Telescope array is the flagship facility for European ground-based astronomy at the beginning of the third Millennium. It is the world's most advanced optical instrument, consisting of four Unit Telescopes with main mirrors of 27 feet in diameter and four movable 6 foot diameter Auxiliary Telescopes. The telescopes can work together allowing astronomers to see details up to 25 times finer than with the individual telescopes.