(by 6 people)
Exploring the universe from your armchair
Maybe you're like me - absolutely fascinated by the universe but unable to afford the time or the money to sit out late at night looking at the sky. Maybe you just don't like the idea of sitting outside in the cold? Whatever your reasons, if you'd like to find out more about the cosmos then I've tried to highlight my favourite internet links and some of the books I've read that have left me with a feeling of complete awe at the scale of the universe we live in.
One of the most amazing images I've ever seen is the one attached to this introduction. It's a picture of the Earth taken by the Voyager 1 space craft as it left the solar system. There's a similar picture out there taken by the Casini space craft as it orbits Saturn. What I find amazing is that from distances that are actually tiny on a galactic scale (never mind cosmic scale) the Earth is so insignificant. And when you think about how insignificant we are on the planet it puts many things into perspective. I start to wonder why we can't all take a little more care of each other and the place we so depend upon.
Some sites you should look at
- Pale Blue Dot
- This has to be one of the most amazing pictures ever - it's right up there with the images of the Earth from the moon. It's not as spectacular, and it certainly isn't as pretty, but it is VERY sobering.
I challenge anyone to read the passage written by the late Carl Sagan and not be moved. - APOD 16 October 2006
- Another picture in the same stable as Pale Blue Dot. This one is taken from the Casini space craft as it orbits Saturn. This IS a striking picture which stands on its own. But just look to the left of the planet, just above centre and just outside the brightest rings and you'll see a little dot. That is where you live!
- Astronomy Picture of the Day
- Also known as APOD (must be a very early version of the iPOD?) is a great site run by NASA where a new picture is posted every day. A description is provided with loads of links to related information. If you miss a day use the < and > links at the bottom of the page to skip back and see what you've missed.
- Space Weather
- Another good site to keep you informed about what's happening tonight or over the coming nights. Information about meteor storms, sun spots and dangerous objects that might come our way.
- Sun and Moon events
- OK, this is a page on my own website that tells you what time sunset, sunrise, moonset and moonrise will be for a given date and number of days after it. You're also given details of the moons phase - very handy if you do plan to venture outside.
You can set the page for any location on the globe - you need to know your latitude and longitude. It defaults to Evesham in Worcestershire which is where I live. - Trust Earnest
- Not strictly an astronomy site but a calendar that I use quite a bit. I love this because it lets me upload my own photos and print out a calendar to go on the kitchen wall. Saves me ££s every year because I don't have to buy a paper calendar and it saves me time because it remembers birthdays and the like from one year to the next. And best of all - it's really cheap!
Put all the events you want to venture outside to see on here so you don't forget. Or if you plan to be the perfect armchair astronomer, just be reminded when things are going to happen so you can sound really knowledgeable to your friends. - Lunar Photo of the Day
- A bit like APOD (see above) but this one's just about the moon!
- Earth Picture of the Day
- And another in the same vein. Not really about astronomy, but I'm quite interested in the world about us too, so this site often has some pretty spectacular pictures and there's always an explination.
- Earth Observatory
- Another great NASA site full of images of the Earth - mostly taken from satellites.
What's in the news?
Fetching RSS feed... please stand bySome books you must have in your collection.
All these prices are $US but they are definitely available in the UK and I would also recommend The Planets by Patrick Moore. I couldn't find this on US Amazon, but it is available on the UK version of the site.
Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space
An excellent book full of amazing facts and figures and some of the most spectacular photos.
Amazon Price: (as of 10/07/2008)
Cosmos
Another mind blowing book. The details about the scale of the universe still make my spine tingle.
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 10/07/2008)
National Geographic Presents: RedShift 5 Planetarium Software
A great piece of software for examining the night sky from the comfort of your house. Full of interesting facts.
Amazon Price: $20.04 (as of 10/07/2008)
A Brief History of Time
Can get a bit heavy on the theory, but a great read nonetheless.
Amazon Price: $12.24 (as of 10/07/2008)
Have a look on eBay
eBay's great isn't it? So much stuff for such a great price! I haven't ventured into the realms of telescopes yet (I have serious restrictions on my time) but if you fancy it, maybe you can get a good second hand one to get you started on eBay. Alternatively, why not look for the books and software on eBay too?
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
What do you think?
I'd love to think I've made someone think about the world we live on in a different way. Or maybe you know of a site that you think I'd be interested in. Let me know what you think of the lens.
Anything really, just leave me some interesting feedback.
