Astronomy Links

The Weather Network: Click this link for an updated forcast of weather information for Kamloops! It even gives you a picture on the page of what the sky looks like, with short & long-term forcasts. Remember, if you're planning on going observing it's very useful to have an idea of whether it will be cloudy or not. Clouds & astronomy don't mix well. :)

The Weather Network's Stargazing Page: Andrew Fazekas' page on The Weather Network's site which features a season-appropriate constellation as well as local stargazing weather information for Kamloops, BC (including moon phases, sunrise/set times, etc.).

Clear Sky Clock for Kamloops: This is a really useful tool for stargazing weather forecasting, but it takes a bit more deciphering than a standard weather forecast page (so read the instructions below the forecast of coloured boxes to see what they mean!). But it is surprisingly accurate, and gives much more information useful to stargazing than a weather forecast alone, broken into cloud cover, transparency, seeing and darkness. Again, read the explanation at the bottom of the page to find out what these terms mean to astronomers.

AstronomyClub Twitter Favourites: this links to the Astronomy Club's favourites list of tweets... make sure you're signed into your Twitter account in another browser window first, then click this link to view the list.

Skynews Magazine: The only Canadian stargazing magazine, edited by acclaimed astronomer Terrence Dickinson (and author of an incredible number of books for professional and amateur astronomers). A subscription to this magazine is a very affordable $26 per year or thereabouts, by far the least expensive astronomy magazine subscription you will find. Mr. Hembling loves this magazine.

Sky & Telescope Magazine's Website: great website that goes way beyond supporting their publication to include things like online star charts (see link on main menu at top of this page), online articles available for free with all kinds of astronomy tips, Java Applets for determining moon positions of the planets, etc.

This Week's Sky at a Glance (from S & T Magazine): This is an excellent feature of the Sky & Telescope website that gives details on what to look for when you go out stargazing. This link is set so that you get the most up-to-date version of "This Week's Sky-at-a-Glance" so it should be current to today's date.

How to Start Right in Astronomy: An excellent article for beginners in Astronomy from Sky & Telescope magazine, covering topics important to the beginner (essentially where to start and how to get more information).

Getting Started in Astronomy Guide: Sky & Telescope's free 10-page booklet for beginning stargazers which includes bimonthly sky charts (6 of them, covering you for the entire year!) as well as a detailed moon map to guide you as you peek at the best, although often overlooked, celestial object to explore with your binoculars or small telescope.

The Night Sky Guy: This is Andrew Fazekas' dedicated stargazing page where you will find up-to-date information about what to look for in the night sky, complete with sky maps and entertaining factoids. Great page!

H.R. MacMillan Space Centre: homepage of the Space Centre in Vancouver (formerly known as the Planetarium). Lots of cool stuff here, including info you'll want in case you're planning a trip to the Space Centre.

Centre of the Universe at the DAO: This is the homepage for the public outreach centre at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory in Victoria, BC. Very cool place (they would say they are out of this world?).

The Galileoscope: The Galileoscope™ is a high-quality, low-cost telescope kit developed for the International Year of Astronomy 2009 by a team of leading astronomers, optical engineers, and science educators. No matter where you live, with this easy-to-assemble, 50-mm (2-inch) diameter, 25- to 50-power achromatic refractor, you can see the celestial wonders that Galileo Galilei first glimpsed 400 years ago and that still delight stargazers today. These include lunar craters and mountains, four moons circling Jupiter, the phases of Venus, Saturn's rings, and countless stars invisible to the unaided eye. At only $20 US plus shipping, this telescope is a real bargain and is also, well, pretty cool.

Resource Guide to the Moon for Educators: Published by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, this is an annotated list of resources for helping students and the general public to understand and appreciate the moon. The guide -- for educators, amateur astronomers, and everyone who would like to know more about the Earth's only natural satellite -- covers our scientific understanding of the Moon as a world, the appearance of the Moon in our skies, and tips for observing the moon through binoculars or small telescopes. It also suggests a few ways to learn more about the Moon in popular culture and historical events. (This resource list is part of a series of guides for educators from teh 120-year old Society, which is dedicated to improving the public understanding of astronomy and advancing science literacy. See all of their materials at http://www.astrosociety.org/education.html).

Space.com: website of the company that makes Starry Night planetarium software, this is Mr. Hembling's favourite place to read Space News articles.