Links to Astronomical Resources on the WWW

This page is rather long so here is an index that will allow you to jump to each section

Section

Beginners Start Here ! Links to sites that will give you advice on starting Astronomy & buying Binoculars or a telescope

Astronomy Bookshops Internet- Postal & Physical

Astronomy Data Sites for the serious Astronomers - mostly professional resources

Astronomy Shops plus Hardware & Holidays a partial list of those in the UK

Educational Links Sites that hold Astronomical Software - Run Courses

Astronomical Imaging Sites that help you perfect that Astronomical Picture

Interesting Sites Sites that we find Interesting

Lists of Astronomical Societies Databases that hold links to UK & World-wide Astronomical Societies

Useful Sites Sites that will help in pursuing Astronomy for Fun or Reward

Sky Diaries Sites which show Astronomical Events that should be visible from the UK .

Have a look at our Friends page as well there are more links located there !

Beginners Start Here !

http://www.popastro.com/ The Society for Popular Astronomy has some links to advice for beginners

http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/public/viewsky.html Advice on starting observing from Jodrell Bank Observatory

http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/public/viewbinos.html Advice on buying & using binoculars from Jodrell Bank Observatory

http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/public/viewtels.html Advice on buying & using telescopes from Jodrell Bank Observatory

http://www.dibonsmith.com/menu.htm Guide for what you can see with the naked eye & Binoculars

http://www.rtgui.com/ Planning Software - Real-Time Interactive Windows Software for Astronomical Observers - gives a list of objects to view and also controls your telescope if your GOTO telescope has a remote control option. New version out soon with more objects & better search facilities - (Added 21/2/2006)

To find out what is worth viewing tonight there is a sky diary on the SPA site. In addition the Sky Diaries section of this page has several links you may like to investigate.

Astronomy Bookshops

Earth and Sky :- Lots of titles by Mail Order

Waterstone's :-Have a reasonable selection of books but few text books

Willman Bell (USA) :- Publishers of many specialist astronomy books

Cambridge University Press :- Publishers of Astronomy Books

Blackwell's Bookshops -:- London (Charing Cross Road & Oxford) Oxford has a very good selection

Dillons the bookstore :-

Astronomy on the Internet :- W H Freeman publishers of the classic textbook 'Universe'

Amazon.co.uk:-Only 1.5 million books to choose from !

Astronomy Data Sites

Access to the ADC Archives :- Access to Astronomy Data & Catalogues only up to 2002

ADS Astronomy and Astrophysics Abstract Service :-

ADS Astronomy Data- Abstracts Page :-

ADS Astronomy Data - Home Page:-

APS POSS I Catalogue and Database Access :- Minnesota Automated Plate Scanner - MAPS - scans of the National Geographic-Palomar Observatory Sky Survey (POSS I)

Astrophysics Data System :- The Astrophysics Data System (ADS) maintains four bibliographic databases containing more than 4.2 million records: Astronomy and Astrophysics, Instrumentation, Physics and Geophysics, and preprints in Astronomy.

Catalogues available at CDS :- (CDS) collects and distributes astronomical data catalogues, related to observations of stars and galaxies, and other galactic and extragalactic objects. Catalogues about the solar system bodies and atomic data are also included

CDROM Astronomical Data Sets :- NSSDC CDROM DATA sets catalogues

CDS, Strasbourg :-

Meteor Showers:- American Meteor Society news & information - professional & amateur observations -historical research

Data Services :- Astronomical Data from the US Navy. Will be moved soon

Dr. Odenwald's ASK THE ASTRONOMER :-

Fundamental Physical Constants :-

Minor Planet Centre - details of Minor Planets and Asteroids

Welcome to IMPReSS:- (IMage PeRimeters of Sky Surveys) is a graphical interface to astronomical databases that presents the user with plane of the sky outlines or silhouettes of images obtained by space-based telescopes.

NASA Skyview :- Virtual 'Telescope'

Physical Constants and Astronomical Data :- Includes a JAVA calculator

Simbad on the Web : Access to a wide range of astronomical data

Solar System Data :- Nine Planets Website

The Astronomy Thesaurus:-

USNO-B1 and USNO-A2 catalogs :- Interactive search service on the PMM Image database and the NOMAD, USNO-B1 and USNO-A2 catalogs. This service extracts all the objects within a user specified radius or box around a single point in the sky. The database is some 80GBytes so don't try to download the whole sky !

VizieR Service:- Search through catalogues for information on a particular object or class of objects

NED Galactic Data :- NASA / IPAC Extragalactic Database details of extra galactic objects

Astronomy Shops, Hardware & Holidays

Astronomical Society of the Pacific:- Based in America but has material of interest to everyone.

True Technology - Supply a wide range of astronomical imaging equipment - Aldermaston Berkshire

Binoculars.com Has some useful information on Binoculars and Telescopes. Good prices but is based in Canada so the free shipping does not apply. Could not find any UK shipping rates on the web site.

Note the products as with all goods from outside the EU will also be subject to excise duty, import duty and VAT. On top of that the Royal Mail will charge you �8.00 for sorting out the excise duty, import duty and VAT with HM Customs see the Royal Mail Page on Importing Goods. The duties and Taxes will be the same with other carriers but their handling charge may vary.

BC&F Astro Engineering - manufacturers of a wide range of astronomical accessories and adaptors

COAA Homepage :- Astronomical Holidays in Portugal & Astro Software

David Hinds Ltd - Astronomical Equipment:- mostly Celestron Equipment

Field view Home Page :- Astronomy holidays in one of the darker parts of Norfolk - they also coat telescope mirrors and flats

Fibre Optic Spectrograph :- Fibre optic spectroscope made in the USA - stops the problem of a heavy spectrograph and camera on the back of the telescope

Herstmonceux Science Centre:- This was the RGO's home in the 1960's now a science centre but you can see and use some of the telescopes

I. R. Poyser :- Makers of brass refracting telescopes in the traditional style, suppliers of optical components and suppliers of Astronomy Kits for GCSE courses

Modern Astronomy :- Sells CCD Cameras, Telescopes & Filters - WebShop but items can be collected from their office in Purley

Orion Optics :-Orion Optics Home Page

SCS Astro - Telescopes, Binoculars& CCD Cameras :-

The Starlight Xpress CCD camera home page :- As used by the CAS

True Technology :- Binocular & Telescopes

Venturescope Telescopes (Emsworth) :- Venturescope Telescopes are in Emsworth Hampshire

Widescreen Centre :- Astronomical Suppliers - Dorset Street London W1 - they now have two web sites at:

Astronomy & Telescopes - TelescopesDirect

Photography & 3D - WidescreenCentre

Educational Links

Distance Learning Courses

External Education Courses are on our Education Page use the link to jump there.

General

IAU Commission 46 Education In Astronomy - Newsletters & details of IAU projects

Telescopes In Education:-

AstroEd: Astronomy Education Resources :- A wide range of resources for all ages and abilities

Hubble Academy -- Top Level Page :- Hubble Space Telescope Outreach Page

Armagh Planetarium Homepage :- A variety of resources including items for sale

Cosmos in a Computer Map :- A map based approach to organising Astronomical Knowledge (Can be a bit out of date - last revised 1995 and knowledge has expanded since then)

Open University:- Astronomy Group :- The World's premier distance learning centre also a major research centre

PROJECT CLEA HOME PAGE :- Download software astronomy exercises they are designed for class use but you can use them yourself as well includes the Virtual Educational Observatory

Edexcel Foundation - Home Page:- They organize the GCSE Astronomy Exams

Link to the Edexcel GCSE Astronomy Paper Specification Page

Board of Continuing Education:- Cambridge University Extra mural classes

Lifelong Learning at Oxford University :- Astronomy & Cosmology Days, Weekends & Evenings

Imaging Sites

QCUIAG QuickCam (WebCam) and Unconventional Imaging Astronomy Group

C.O.A.A. Homepage :- Have some software for stacking CCTV camera images y

Interesting Sites

Astronomy Picture of the Day :- A new picture every day with commentary

Astronomy Picture of the Day Archive :- Archive of APOD pictures

APOD Text Search :- Search the APOD archive - many good links to additional information

Big Bear Solar Observatory WWW Page :- Look here for Sunspots & lots more on our nearest star

SOHO - The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory :- See the Sun from a different angle

Solar Images :- Another view of the Sun
from the Solar Data Analysis Centre

The NOAA POES satellite web site provides some good images of auroral activity from space
Also a British site - Aurorawatch UK allows you to view the level of GeoMagnetic activity at Lancaster - This is related to the possibility of Auroral Activity. You can also sign up for EMAIL, SMS or WAP phone alerts

This link will take you to a page with a lot more information on emission lines and spectroscopy.

History of Astronomical Spectroscopy Look here for some of the History - Don't forget William Huggins did a lot of the work 'just up the road' at Tulse Hill.

Bows, Halos, Dogs, Glories & other Atmospheric phenomena

Atmospheric Halos - for pictures & simulator for atmospheric phenomena

Lists of Astronomical Societies & University Departments

FAS web page :- Federation of Astronomical Societies details & links to most UK Astronomical Societies

SAGAS Home Page :- Links to Astronomical Societies in the South of England

Useful Sites

The Starpages:- Almost all the Astronomy Links you could ever want !

Yahoo! - Science:Astronomy:-

Astronomical information on the Internet :- Aimed at professionals but is also a good resource if you want details on a star or object

Astronomy Now On-Line :- The UK Astronomy Magazine

CCD University :- Help on using CCD cameras

Webb Society The Webb Society is an international society of amateur and professional astronomers specializing in the observation of double stars and 'deep sky� objects, founded in 1967.

The Astronomer (The TA) an organisation to support committed observers, they will help check your new Comet or Nova sightings !

SCT Collimation - illustration of how to collimate your Schmitt Cassegrain Telescope - It shows a Meade telescope but we can't all be perfect ! - (Does that explain why the images of the final 'perfect' collimation have a break in the bottom showing a problem with the optics ?)

Epsilon Telescope Accessories � look here for camera mounts & other specialised hardware to help your astronomy. They also offer a �made to measure� machining service for that part you always wanted but could not find.

Sky Diaries

The Society of Popular Astronomy provide a detailed SkyDiary

There is a SkyDiary maintained by The Jodrell Bank Observatory

Sky & Telescope Magazine have a lot of events linked from their home page - beware some such as solar eclipses & occultation's may only be visible from North America and the Meteor Showers may occur in daylight !

This site - Your Sky is a web based planetarium programme that allows you to see what is visible from your location.

If you find any problems with these links or have any other good links please EMAIL our Webmaster who maintains this page.

The Croydon Astronomical Society

Links to Astronomical Resources on the Web