Curated by John Schmit

Friday, August 31, 2012

Catching The Light

http://www.astropix.com/INDEX.HTM

Jerry Lodriguss presents and inside look at astrophotography on his "Catching The Light" photographic website. Here you'll find astounding images of deep-sky, wide-angle and terrestrial views. Jerry takes the time to talk about the images and explains the method of imaging used. He has three main categories of images: Film, Digital and Beginner DSLR. There is an excellent section on Astrophotography Techniques that include comparisons of film and digital and even different cameras. This is a great place to start learning to take those space pictures you've dreamed of. Jerry also has a companion web log where more in depth discussion of his images take place. You can participate in those too. Jerry Lodriguss has two books available on his website for learning astrophotography.

Monday, August 27, 2012

Sky-Map.org

http://www.sky-map.org/

Sky-Map.org starts you off with a close-up of M31 (Candor Andromeda). Click on the "Home" selection and you'll get to the beginning of an adventurous way to check out the Universe. You will want to read the "Getting Started" section that has instructions for moving about the maps and images. The "To Survive In The Universe" section provides a background for what the website is all about. Here you'll learn how you can participate. There are many who have already contributed and are participating in spreading the joy. There are also many commercial contributors and you'll find some that can almost be an interference. Still, the overall product is a vast educational system that shows outstanding images with excellent data support. Be sure to check out the AstroPhoto section for some of the best views.

Friday, August 24, 2012

Smoot Cosmology Group

http://aether.lbl.gov/index.html

Research in the area of cosmology and astrophysics is the focus of The Smoot Group. Located at the Lawrence Berkeley National lab in California, the group uses the Cosmic Background Radiation to understand the structure and history of the Universe. The Smoot Group website provides links to specialized areas of research including: Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation, Gravitational Lensing, Galactic Emission Mapping, Far-Infra-red mapping and high-energy neutrino astronomy. The site features the work of Dr. Smoot and includes links to many of his publications. The Smoot Group is active in advancing the education and training of students, teachers and researchers.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Astrobiology Magazine

http://www.astrobio.net/

Astrobiology Magazine is a NASA - sponsored science magazine. It's focus is ʺthe study of life in the universeʺ. The magazine has been published for over 10 years and has stories and articles that deal with the possibilities of and the search for life elswhere. The magazine claims to be integrated as a teaching resource in many universities. There are five main sections presented on the home page: News, Features, Hot Topcs, Multimedia and AstroComics. News stories are presented with the latest at the top of the page and include a topic classification and a summary. There are five sections to the features tab. With stories, blogs, interviews and many more items to explore. Hot Topics and Multimedia both present many aspects of space information to digest. Follow the adventures of Astrobiobot in the AstroComics section. A great section for kids of all ages! For complete information visit the Astrobiology Portal. You can also follow on Facebook and Twitter.

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Spacetoday.net

http://www.spacetoday.net/

Spacetoday.net is a creation of former editor of SpaceViews, Jeff Foust. His plan is to provide a quick and easy way for professionals, enthusiasts and others to discover and digest the latest space related news. The two main tools that are outstanding on the site are the news summaries and the news links. The summaries provide an overview of an item being presented in the media. The news links are date stamped and take you directly to a reporting website. You can choose from almost 70 news topics, including 40 that deal with the space shuttle. There are also four special sections: space tourism, shuttle missions, China and Mir that sort news coverage and provides a focused look at the particular subject. A mailing list is available for those wanting to know about changes in the website. You can follow @spacetoday on Twitter.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Star Trek

http://www.startrek.com/

CBS Entertainment and CBS Interactive provide this site for continuing your involvement with the long running Star Trek saga. News of conventions, collectables and other productslicensed for distribution are covered in the news section. Selected videos are available from not only the series' but also from behind the scenes, documentaries and interviews. The database has information from both the series and films. You can join the Star Trek website and contribute comments on the Forum boards, discuss games and products and submit suggestions to the website. You can connect with either Facebook or Twitter. The site also hosts the official Star Trek store. The Guest Blogger opens a new aspect for exploring individual Star Trek experience. An interesting place, indeed!

Friday, August 10, 2012

ESA/Hubble

http://www.spacetelescope.org/

Space Telescope provides and outstanding website of space imagery. The European Space Agency and NASA have partnered to provide this state-of-the-art site for all to see and use. Press release images, illistrations, video news releases and video podcasts are just some of the products available here. There's a shop where you can buy books, DVD's, postcards and all kinds of Hubble related materials produced by HEIC. The site stresses that "Space Telescope imagery is free for anyone to use". There are plenty to choose from including Solar System, stars, galaxies, and spacecraft. A wide selection of videos is also available including many in HD. Keep up-to-date with news about the Hubble Space Telescope and follow on the major social networks.

Monday, August 6, 2012

SEN - Space Exploration Network

http://www.sen.com/

SEN is a space news aggregate website. With a staff of contributing writers, SEN posts videos and articles of current and past space activities on its advertiser supported website. SEN allows you to participate in the news evaluation by registering to post blogs and comments on the site. While this privilege is free at this time, there is a planned charge for a later date. SEN's current content is extensive and includes space items from a variety of fields including exploration, spaceflight, government and business activities, and astronomy. Each area further explores space through a list of related, relevant news items and features. SEN writers produce excellent, informative articles. You can also connect with SEN on the major social networks. For the latest in space news, SEN provides very readable content.

Friday, August 3, 2012

Mars Science Laboratory

http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/mission/rover/

Here is everything you'd want to know about the Curiosity rover. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), and NASA team up to provide you with an front seat to view and participate in Mars Rover Curiosity events. Mission information is extensive and well organised on this picture filled site. Daily updates are available in the news section. Educators, students and kids have special pages to bring understanding and involvement to Mars and space study. Up front and center are the latest activities and events of the rover. Reports and detailed updates are presented on a rotational display. Follow Curiosity on Twitter (@MarsCuriosity) and Facebook. The images, videos and reports promise to be exciting. Watch Curiosity on NASA TV on the web at: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/index.html

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

CosmOnline

http://www.cosmonline.co.uk/

Cosmonline is the product of Ben Gilliland. Based in Britain it conveys space and other science information in a fun, graphic and sometimes irreverent way. The home page covers the currently trending items. There is an archive of CosmOnline going back to 2005. Ben not only stimulates your thinking, he challenges you to discover your own answers. Young people of all ages will enjoy the humor and wit of Ben's (almost) award winning presentations. Got a really deep question, just Tap The Brain! You can also follow Ben Gilliand on Twitter.