Astronomy Web Resources

General Astronomy - Solar System, Planets, the Universe

Astronomy Answers/Astronomy Dictionary

Eric Weisstein's World of Astronomy

The Extrasolar Planets Encyclopaedia

A catalog/encyclopedia of exoplanets (planets found beyond our solar system). Follow their "Interactive Catalog" link to browse past and newly discovered worlds around other stars (arranged by methods of discovery).

Exploring the Planets

Covers the history and tools for studying the solar system. Compare planets, and explore comets.

Imagine the Universe Dictionary

Goddard Space Flight Center's astronomical dictionary.

NASA Planetary Photojournal

Find thousands of images from NASA of all the planets and more.

Solar and Heliospheric Observatory Homepage

"SOHO, the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, is a project of international collaboration between ESA and NASA to study the Sun from its deep core to the outer corona and the solar wind." Includes hourly images of the sun as well as news and information.

Space.com

News and resources concerning current and future space missions

Space Weather

"News and information about the Sun-Earth environment" from NASA.

Star Date: The Solar System

Find current information and images of our solar system and the explorations we have taken to explore them.

Tonight's Sky

Find daily articles of what to look for in the night sky, blogs, podcasts and much more.

Windows to the Universe

Approached from a historical and cultural outlook the ties between science, exploration, and the human experience. Includes teaching resources.

Astronomy - Amateur Astronomy & Observation Basics

Stargazing Basics

Sections include: How to Start Right in Astronomy, Words Ya Gotta Know, Constellation Names and Abbreviations, Names of the Stars, Names of Deep-Sky Objects, Understanding Celestial Coordinates, Time and the Amateur Astronomer, The Stellar Magnitude System, Spectral Types of Stars, Secrets of Deep-Sky Observing, Observing from the City. From Sky and Telescope.

Astrophotography 101: How to Take Stellar Pictures

From Space.com.

How to Buy a Telescope

Tips and things to consider. From About.com.

Stargazing - Questions and Answers

Basic to advanced topics. From Cornell University's "Ask an Astronomer" website.

Astronomical Observatories (Earth-based)

Arecibo Observatory

Astronomical Observatories around the World

Asteroid, Comet, and Meteor observatories, as well as Future, Gamma-ray, Gravitational Waves, Neutrino, Optical and Infrared, Radio, Solar, Teaching and Public, Ultraviolet, X-ray observatories. Listings from Google Directory.

European Southern Observatory (ESO)

James Clerk Maxwell Telescope

Lowell Observatory

Mauna Kea Observatories

McDonald Observatory

Mount Wilson Observatory

National Optical Astronomy Observatory

Includes: Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), The NOAO Gemini Science Center (NGSC).

National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Palomar Observatory

Royal Observatory

U.S. Naval Observatory (USNO)

Vatican Observatory

W. M. Keck Observatory

Space Telescopes

Allen Telescope Array

"The Allen Telescope Array (ATA) is a joint effort of the SETI Institute and the Radio Astronomy Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley."

Arecibo Observatory

Famous radio telescope located in Puerto Rico. "Arecibo Observatory is part of the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center (NAIC), a national research center operated by Cornell University under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation (NSF)." Arecibo is also used in the SETI and SETI@home projects.

Chandra X-ray Observatory

"Since its launch on July 23, 1999, the Chandra X-ray Observatory has been NASA's flagship mission for X-ray astronomy." Includes news, images archived by year, as well as special features for students and educators. Website provided by the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. NASA maintains its own Chandra Mission website.

European Southern Observatory (ESO)

"ESO, the European Southern Observatory, builds and operates a suite of the world's most advanced ground-based astronomical telescopes." Includes news, images, and scientific data of astronomical observations and research.

GLAST: The Gamma Ray Large Area Space Telescope

"GLAST is the first imaging gamma-ray observatory to survey the entire sky every day and with high sensitivity. It will give scientists a unique opportunity to learn about the ever-changing Universe at extreme energies." See also this Thrall blog post for more GLAST-related links.

Herschel Space Observatory

Sporting "the largest single mirror ever built for a space telescope," Herschel will focus on "the coldest and most distant objects in the Universe." It is also said to be "the only space observatory to cover a spectral range from the far infrared to sub-millimetre." From the European Space Agency (ESA).

HubbleSite: The Hubble Space Telescope

The official website of the Hubble Space Telescope. Includes pictures, news, and discoveries. See also Hubble's European Space Administration (ESA) home page and the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI).

James Webb Space Telescope

"The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a large, infrared-optimized space telescope, scheduled for launch in 2013. JWST will find the first galaxies that formed in the early Universe, connecting the Big Bang to our own Milky Way Galaxy."

Kepler Mission

"The Kepler Mission, NASA Discovery mission #10, is specifically designed to survey our region of the Milky Way galaxy to discover hundreds of Earth-size and smaller planets in or near the habitable zone and determine how many of the billions of stars in our galaxy have such planets." Website provided by NASA.

Planck Microwave Telescope

This space telescope will analyze "remnants of radiation that filled the Universe immediately after the Big Bang, which we observe today as the Cosmic Microwave Background." From the European Space Agency (ESA).

Very Large Array National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Includes news, images, FAQs, educational information for students and teachers, and more detailed data for astronomers.

The Very Large Telescope Project (VLT)

Described as "the flagship facility for European astronomy." Includes information about the facility as well as an archive of astronomical images. See also this VLT page for more information and related links.

Biology

All Living Things

Click on a group such as reptile, fungi, coral etc. to find photos, maps, identification guides and more.

Biology 101

Sections/topics include: Introduction (Unifying Themes of Biology, Careers, Conservation, Scientific Method), Chemistry of Life (Atoms, Chemical Bonds, WaterThe Cell, Cell Theory (Types of Cells, Membrane Structure, Permeability, Connection / Communication), Cellular Metabolism (Energy, Respiration, Photosynthesis), Cell Division (Cycle, Chromosomes, Mitosis, Meiosis), Mendelian genetics (Heritability, Phenotype vs. Genotype, Punnett Squares, Other Mechanisms of Inheritance), DNA, Genes,and Proteins (Structure, Replication, Protein), Gene Revolution (Biotechnology, Cloning, Genomics), Mechanisms of Evolution (Darwinian Theory of Evolution, Speciation, Phylogeny and Systematics), Origins (Early Earth, Life Forms), Evolution and Diversity of Land Plants,, Plant Structure / Growth / Reproduction / Behavior, Animal Evolution / Diversity / Physiology / Reproduction / Development / Behavior, Skeletal and Muscular Systems, Gas Exchange and Circulation (Respiration, Human Respiratory System), Nutrition and Digestion, Osmoregulation, Urinary / Immune / Endocrine / Nervous Systems (Neurons, Nerves Signals, Synapses), Population Dynamics and Community Ecology, Ecosystems and Biomes, Conservation (Species Extinction, Population Recovery). Also includes a glossary. From SparkNotes.com.

Biozone

Directory of biology websites.

eNature

Reliable information on over 5,500 plants and wild animals. Includes an online version of the Sibley Guide to Birds as well as information from Audubon field guides.

Encyclopedia of Life

"The Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) is an ambitious, even audacious project to organize and make available via the Internet virtually all information about life present on Earth. At its heart lies a series of Web sitesone for each of the approximately 1.8 million known speciesthat provide the entry points to this vast array of knowledge. The entry-point for each site is a species page suitable for the general public, but with several linked pages aimed at more specialized users. The sites sparkle with text and images that are enticing to everyone, as well as providing deep links to specific data."

The Evergreen Project

Shows biomes of the world, freshwater and marine ecosystems.

Integrated Taxonomic Information System

You will find authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of North America and the world. Search by common name or scientific.

The National Biological Information Infrastructure

A broad, collaborative program to provide increased access to data and information on the nation's biological resources. It includes plants, animals and other organisms, habitats or biomes, ecological topics and more.

Tree of Life

Provides information about the diversity of organisms on Earth, their evolutionary history (phylogeny), and characteristics. Linked hierarchically.

Chemistry

American Chemical Society

News and linked resources arranged by grade level for students and educators as well as professionals.

Chemdex

An international directory based at the Department of Chemistry, University of Sheffield, England.

Chemistry Study Guides

Sections include: Fundamentals of Chemistry (Units, Scientific Notation, Significant Figures, Periodic Table, Atomic Structure), Bonding (Chemical Bonding, Properties of Chemical Bonds, Ionic / Covalent Bonds), Stoichiometry, Gases (Pressure, Kinetic Molecular Theory), Solutions (Chemicals, Compositions, Properties, Solubility), Acids and Bases (pH, Buffers, Titrations), Electrochemistry (Galvanic / Electrolytic Cells, Thermodynamics), Reaction Kinetics (Reaction Rate Laws, Mechanisms), Organic Chemistry. From SparkNotes.

Eric Weisstein's World of Chemistry

Comprehensive. Sections include Chemical Reactions, Experimental Chemistry, Geology, Inorganic Chemistry, Mineralogy, Organic Chemistry, Petrology, Quantum Chemistry.

Chemistry at About.com

Includes many links and articles to chemistry information.

General Chemistry Online

Contains the Common Compound Library, articles, FAQ, tutorials, a glossary, simulations, a trivia quiz. Provided by the Department of Chemistry, Frostburg State University.

It's Elemental: The Periodic Table of Elements

Click on the element for basic uses and facts on each one.

Periodic Table of the Elements

This periodic table is geared toward elementary, middle school, and high school students. Information includes descriptions of the elements, the naming of new elements, what the periodic table is and how to use it, and "Chemistry in a Nutshell."

Timeline: The Discovery of Elements

The timeline starts with early history and ends in the 1970s.

Web Elements

Two versions of the periodic table exists at this site: the "Professional" edition for scientists and advanced students, and the "Scholarly" edition aimed at school students. Click on an element to get its description and essential characteristics, then choose other information, such as history, uses, compounds, and updates.

Words to Know

Scroll through the alphabetical list of chemical terms related to the elements.

Cosmology - Theories of the Universe
Popular Theories of the Universe & History of Cosmology

Copernican System

Focuses on Nicholas Copernicus' theory, Galileo, and the "Copernican Revolution" that challenged and ultimately helped to overturn the Ptolemaic view of Earth as the center of the universe. From the Galileo Project at Rice University.

Cosmic Journey: A History of Scientific Cosmology

An examination of theories of the universe's origin including the Big Bang and Steady State theory. From the American Institute of Physics.

Cosmology and the Big Bang

Overview as well as questions and answers. From the Astronomy Department at Cornell University.

The Elegant Universe

From PBS Nova. This series examines modern cosmology, a history of cosmic theories, and the many questions arising from humanity's attempts to understand the cosmos. Apple QuickTime plugin required to play videos.

NASA: Introduction to Cosmology

Focuses on the Big Bang theory.

Neil deGrasse Tyson: Cosmology Articles

Other related articles from this popular astrophysicist are available.

The Origin of the Universe

An introductory article for educators and students. From Scholastic.com.

Ptolemaic View of the Universe

Focuses on Ptolemy's Earth-centric universe and Aristotle related theories. From the Galileo Project at Rice University.

Stephen Hawking's Universe

A history of cosmology with an emphasis on the Big Bang as a central theory. See also Stephen Hawking's website as well as Discover Channel's website about Stephen Hawking.

Theories of the Universe

An overview of major scientific theories regarding the physical origin of the universe. From Infoplease.com.

Alternative Theories

Biocosm Theory

Alternative cosmological theory of the universe proposed by James N. Gardner.

Electric Universe Theory

Overview of the theory.

Holographic Principle

Videos featuring Michael Talbot's theory of the universe as a hologram. See also Wikipedia's article on the Holographic Principle (please note their disclaimers).

Multiverse and Parallel Universes

Article from Wikipedia (please note their disclaimers).

Oscillating Universe Theory

Article from Universe Today. See also Wikipedia's Cyclic Model article (please note their disclaimers).

String Theory

Focuses on the "superstrings" theory of the universe. See also Michio Kaku's M-Theory website.

Earth Science

Climate Change

Special coverage web guide providing access to web and library resources about climate change, global warming, and related concepts. Provided by Middletown Thrall Library.

Earth Science World Image Bank

A collection of quality photographs in categories like volcanoes, weather, lakes, dunes, etc. Images are for the public, educators, and the science community.

EarthGuide - Educational Resources in Earth, Marine, Environmental and Planetary Sciences

Contents include: news, image database, animations, "Current Conditions on Earth" directory, resources for students and teachers, and more. From the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego.

Environment Blog

Environmental news, issues, reports, and other resources on the web and in the library. A Middletown Thrall Library blog.

How Stuff Works - Earth Science Channel

Learn about carbon-14 dating, archeology, geology, fossils, diamonds, and much more.

NASA Websites:

Earth Observatory

"The purpose of NASA's Earth Observatory is to provide a freely-accessible publication on the Internet where the public can obtain new satellite imagery and scientific information about our home planet."

For Kids Only: Earth Sciences Enterprise

General information about planet Earth especially for young people. [note: while this site has not been updated since 2004, the information/interactive activities under pages like "How NASA Studies Land" seems okay)

The Gateway to Astronaut Photography of the Earth

"The Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth hosts the best and most complete online collection of astronaut photographs of the Earth from 1961 through the present."

NEO: NASA Earth Observations

"Our mission is to help you picture climate change and environmental changes happening on our home planet. Here you can search for and retrieve satellite images of Earth."

NASA Science: Earth

Topics include: Climate, Carbon & Ecosystems, Surface & Interior, Atmosphere, Weather, and Water & Energy Cycles. Also includes new on NASA's current Earth science missions.

Visible Earth

"A catalog of NASA images and animations of our home planet."

NOAA Education Resources

Information about the Earth's atmosphere, atmospheric conditions, oceans (oceanography), and weather. Provided by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Science Daily - Earth and Climate News

National Geographic

News, images, videos, and other information about Earth science (and other topics).

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)

"The USGS serves the Nation by providing reliable scientific information to describe and understand the Earth; minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources; and enhance and protect our quality of life."

General

CalPhotos

Find photos of plants, animals, fossils, people, and landscapes from around the world. Scientific names can be entered to find photos of an organism.

Digital Image Library

Find photographs and images of nature and the environment, such as animals, plants, humans and the environment, and much more. Most images are freely available for use.

EurekAlert!

Directory of science websites, a service of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

EurekAlert! Science News

Science News, a service of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Fractal Geometry

An introduction and overview of fractals from Yale University.

HighWire Press

"A division of the Stanford University Libraries, HighWire Press hosts the largest repository of free, full-text, peer-reviewed content, with 968 journals and 1,390,068 free, full-text articles online. " Note: Not all articles in this database are free. Search results may contain articles only available by purchase. Some articles in PDF format require the Adobe Acrobe Reader.

NASA's Visible Earth

Provides a consistently updated, central point of access to the superset of NASA's Earth science-related images, animations, and data visualizations. These images are considered to be in the public domain.

National Inventors Hall of Fame Index of Inventions

Click here for the main invent.org site

The Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Science.gov

"Science.gov is a gateway to over 50 million pages of authoritative selected science information provided by U.S. government agencies, including research and development results."

ScienceDaily

An online magazine and web portal devoted to science, technology and medicine. Articles are up to the minute.

WorldWideScience

Select a country to go to its specific scientific databases and/or journals. Or type in a keyword to search the whole site.

Genetics

Fact Sheets

Written for students, teachers and the general public, fact sheets explore the social implications of genetic research, and explain complex genetic concepts and research techniques.

Genetic and Rare Conditions

An alphabetical list of disorders with links to support groups, information on genetic conditions /birth defects for professionals, educators, and individuals.

Genetic Science Learning Center

From the University of Utah to help people understand how genetics affects their lives and society. It has interactive and print based resources, information and activities, and teacher resources.

Scitable

"A free science library and personal learning tool brought to you by Nature Publishing Group, the world's leading publisher of science. Scitable currently concentrates on genetics, the study of evolution, variation, and the rich complexity of living organisms."

Understanding Genetics

Find feature stories, online exhibits and ask a geneticist.

Geology & Geological Eras

Alphabetical Listing of Mineral Species

Geology

Includes: Mineral Pictures, How to Look at a Rock, Identify Rocks, Rock Pictures, Basics (Rocks, Minerals, Gemstones, Earth Resources, Geologic Hazards, Landforms, Fossils, Geologic Time, Evolution, Parts of the Earth, Plate Tectonics, Geology of Other Planets), Earthquakes, and Explore Geology, which includes: Geology of Your Area, Careers and Jobs, Geology and the Arts, History of Geology, Biographies of Geologists, References for Advanced Students, Paleontology, Fieldwork, Travel, and fun facts. From About.com.

Geology

Basic questions are answered about the rock cycle, earth's layers, minerals and fossils.

Mineral Science - Learn More

Find links to other geology sites that include clubs, associations, and mineral collections in museums around the world.

Mineral Sciences Collections

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County has digitized its mineral collections and you can click on a category to see an image with a brief description. It includes gems, gold, and minerals from California and the world.

Mineral Identification

Identify the minerals you find as you follow the exercises on this site. There are also sections about igneous and metamorphic rocks and the physical characteristics of each kind of rock.

Tour of Geologic Time

Geological eras and time scale / prehistoric timelines. "Here you can journey through the history of the Earth, with stops at particular points in time to examine the fossil record and stratigraphy." Includes information and animations about plate tectonics and continental shifts/movements. From Berkeley University.

Physics

PhysLink

Devoted to physics and engineering with a good deal of astronomy information. High quality links, "ask experts", online essays, and on online club for physics teachers. Sprinkled throughout with quotes from Einstein, Aristotle, Hawking and more.

Physics by Demonstration

Created by students, this site has short animations demonstrating many principles of physics and also tables of symbols, definitions, and laws.

Physics Study Guides

Topics include: Units, Scientific Notation, Significant Figures, Vectors (Addition, Multiplication), Kinematics (1D / 2D Motion), Dynamics (Newton's Three Laws, Uniform Circular Motion), Work, Energy and Power (Conservation of Energy), Linear Momentum (Conservation of Momentum, Collisions), Rotational Motion (Kinetics, Dynamics, Angular Momentum), Oscillations (Simple Harmonic Motions), Gravitation (Kepler, Newton, Potential, Orbits), Thermodynamics (Structure, Gas, Heat), Magnetic Forces and Fields, Optics (Light, Geometric Optics, Optical Phenomena), Special Relativity. From SparkNotes.com.

Physics Web

Physics news, jobs, and resources maintained by the Institute of Physics. It features regular news, jobs, resources, enhanced highlights of Physics World magazine, events, free alerts, a buyer's guide, products & press, and advertising opportunities for businesses.

Quantum Mechanics / Quantum Physics

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Quantum Mechanics

Definition and encyclopedic article. See also these related articles:

Action at a Distance in Quantum Mechanics

Collapse Theories [of wave functions]

Copenhagen Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics

Many-Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics

Measurement in Quantum Theory

Quantum Approaches to Consciousness

Quantum Entanglement and Information

Quantum Field Theory

Quantum Logic and Probability Theory

The Uncertainty Principle

Quantum Mechanics Made Relatively Simple

Video lectures from Cornell University.

Quantum Physics Overview

Topics include: Wave-particle duality, Schroedinger's Cat, Young's Double Slit Experiment, the Many Worlds Interpretation, Unified Field Theory, and more. From About.com.

Quantum World

News and articles. From New Scientist.

ScienceDaily: Quantum Physics News

Scientific American: Quantum Physics

News and articles.

Stephen Hawking: "Does God Play Dice?"

Transcript of lecture on quantum mechanics, light, and randomness.

The Uncertainty Principle and Wave-Particle Duality

From University of Wisconsin at Madison.