Amateur & Backyard Astronomy | Reference Information & Resources

Amateur Astronomy | Information, Reference, & Online Resources

Apparent Disk of Solar System Objects
Online tool from the U.S. Naval Observatory that will generate an image/map of the apparent disk of a selected solar system object based on your input parameters.

Ask an Astronomer
Questions answered by graduate students, including a question and answer archive, information on the solar system, the universe, SETI, observational astronomy, careers and history

Astronomical Almanac
Contains a wide variety of both technical and general astronomical information. The book is a worldwide resource for fundamental astronomical data.

Astronomy Cafe
Learn about Astronomy and Astronomy careers from Dr. Sten Odenwald

Backyard Astronomy
Information and resources for amateur astronomers, by amateur astronomers

Heavens Above
Information on observing satellites, the space station, and more

Jack Horkheimer
Website of the worlds first weekly TV series on amateur astronomy and things you can see from your backyard

Mythology of the Constellations
Myths and legends about the stars and constellations

Night Sky Section at Space.com
Special Space.com section on the night sky and observation

Regulus!
Astronomy newsletter for amateur astronomers of all levels. Over 12 years in internet publication.

Space Calendar at JPL
The Space Calendar is a very comprehensive online calendar of everything going on in space and with NASA.

StarDate Online
Homepage for StarDate Magazine covering everything going on in the sky. Website includes information for stargazing as well as reference information, images, teacher's resources, a gift shop and a radio program.

Stellarium
Stellarium is a free open source planetarium for your computer. It shows a realistic sky in 3D, just like what you see with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope.

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Astrophotography & Imaging

Backyard Astronomy & Astrophotography
Introduction to astrophotography and equipment

Spectrashift
Website devoted to amateur radial velocity studies and collaborative building of a 1.1 meter observatory.

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Amateur Astronomy Related Organizations

Astronomical League
Composed of over two hundred and forty local amateur astronomical societies from all across the United States. These organizations, along with our Members-at-Large, Patrons, and Supporting members form one of the largest amateur astronomical organizations in the world

International Dark-Sky Association (IDA)
The mission of the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) is to preserve and protect the nighttime environment and our heritage of dark skies through environmentally responsible outdoor lighting

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