10 Places to Learn More about Astronomy Online

You may remember a while back Karen Schweitzer did a guest post for Black holes called
"10 Places to get a Free Astronomy Education Online", well Karen, the About.com guide to Business School has offered her excellent services once again with suggestions for another 10 free places to learn of Astronomy online.



The web is a great place for amateur and experienced astronomers to learn more about stars, planets, comets, galaxies, and other celestial objects. Here are 10 free education resources that almost any astronomer will benefit from.

1. Astronomy.com - Astronomy, the world's bestselling astronomy magazine, also has a website with educational resources for astronomers of all ages. Only magazine subscribers can gain access to the site's premium features, but there are a number of free resources that are available to everyone.


2. Sky and Telescope - Sky and Telescope, another popular astronomy magazine, uses their online presence to provide astronomy news, highlights from the magazine, observation tips, and interactive sky charts. Other notable features include a site blog and community forum.

3. - KidsAstronomy - As the name implies, KidsAstronomy.com is an astronomy site for kids. The site offers a free astronomy course, sky map, astronomy games, activities, fun facts, and other resources to educate kids about outer space.

4. Windows to the Universe - This award-winning site from the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research provides a user-friendly education system for anyone who is interested in learning more about earth and space sciences.

5. Astronomy Cast - This popular astronomy podcast is aimed at amateur astronomers, but also provides educational material for more advanced learners. Several new episodes are published each month and old episodes are archived so that listeners can review information they may have missed.



6. Astronomy Picture of the Day -NASA posts a new astronomy picture each day along with an explanation of what viewers are seeing. Old pictures (dating back to 1995) have been archived so that site visitors can explore images they may have missed.

7. Sky View Cafe - Sky View Cafe is a free web application that offers an astronomical event calendar, star charts, and other useful astronomical information. Users can also use Sky View Cafe to see which stars and planets will be viewable in their area each night.

8. Stellarium - This free multi-platform software displays a realistic night sky in 3D on your computer screen. It can also be used in planetarium projectors.

9. Your Sky - This interactive web planetarium allows users to create personalized sky maps that show the entire sky as it looks at a particular day and time.

10. My Online Astronomy Journal - My Online Astronomy Journal is a community based website for amateur astronomers who want to record their observations and share them with other people. Membership is free and open to everyone.

Thanks again Karen for taking the time to put together this collection of great Astronomy links, and thanks to everybody who took time to comment on my last post and send me encouraging emails of support, also Astro-Nuts for showing me a major signpost.

I had mentioned on my last post I was taking some time off to look for my next signpost to guide me to get to where I need to be, since then I have found many, and many have helped, and I thank you all. When all seems lost and nothing seems right it's good to know that Christ our Savior is always there to get us through, 1Peter 5:7-11, some verses I found when I really needed them most.

ps, see you in Vancouver in December Livingsword

10 Places to Get a Free Astronomy Education Online

Old Shanghai Observatory Star Theater


Something special and new for you this this time round. Karen Schweitzer will be doing a guest post. Karen is the About.com guide to Business School. Karen also writes reviews of Online Colleges for OnlineColleges.net. There is some great stuff here, I have reviewed all the links Karen has provided and have actually printed some of the study materials down to read and incorporate in future posts, take it away Karen.


Whether you are a beginning astronomer or a professional who is interested in learning more about a specific topic, there are plenty of places to get a free astronomy education online. Here are ten courses, podcasts, encyclopedias, and other education resources to explore:

Introduction to Astronomy- The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) offers this free course to introduce self-learners to astronomy. The course includes readings, study materials, assignments, and quizzes with an answer key.

Elementary Astronomy- This free online course from the College of Eastern Utah focuses on the formation and existence of the sun, moon, planets, stars, and comets. The course includes 38 pages of informative handouts with illustrations.

Astronomy 101- The About.com Guide to Astronomy offers this free online course to self-learners who are interested in learning the basics of astronomy. The 10-lesson course includes an assignment, links to more in-depth information, a final quiz, and forums where students can ask questions. A certificate is awarded to those who finish the course.

Hands-On Astronomy- This free online astronomy course from MIT focuses on observing stars and planets. The course teaches students how to use small telescopes with lecture notes and other self-study materials.

Old Shanghai Observatory Star Theater

The Solar System- This free online course, also from MIT, provides an introduction to the solar system. Students learn about the formation and life of the solar system through assignments, fact sheets, and other course materials.

Essential Radio Astronomy- This advanced-level astronomy course was designed for students who already have some knowledge of astronomy. The text-based course includes problems sets and exams with solutions.

Weekly Astronomy Podcast- Astronomy magazine's free weekly podcast is an excellent educational resource for astronomy enthusiasts. Episodes include astronomy news, information on upcoming sky events, and much more.

Astronomy Network- The Astronomy Network is a social network for astronomers and astronomy enthusiasts. The site is a great place to learn more about astronomy online through discussions, blog posts, and videos.

World Of Astronomy- World of Astronomy is a comprehensive online encyclopedia of astronomy topics. Visitors can learn more about galactic astronomy, observational astronomy, the solar system, stars, and much more.

Ask An Astronomer- Volunteers at Cornell University's Astronomy Department offer this free public service to people around the world who are interested in astronomy. You can browse previously asked questions or submit your own question to be answered by one of the graduate students at Cornell.


Thank you Karen, with all the information out there it's nice to have an expert do the research on where to get stuff. I'll leave you now with an animation of the Greater Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an China, built in 652 it was used to hold sutras and figurines that were brought back from India by Xuanzang