Here's the new NASA Internet Archive, a searchable collection of the agency's images from 50 years ago to present.
Andy Fraknoi suggested the JPL Solar System Photojournal site as another great resource for images of Planets and other Solar System objects.
Here's the link to the Planetarium sky depiction program, Stellarium.
Here's the link to the Where is M13 Milky Way diagram.
Check out this great JAVA Applet that demonstrates orbital properties and gravity as applied to our Solar System, link suggested by Professor Kristen Larson of Western Washington University.
I finally
found a source for 3-inch diameter Solid Styrofoam spheres (not the crinkly
texture), for use in Moon on a Stick project (cast the best shadows in natural
light to show phases): http://www.plasteelcorp.com/foamshapes/index.html
Plasteel Corporation in Michigan, 6-pack of spheres for $3.30 (plus $4.50
mailing, so order several packs), item 124-6), if I do a Moon program for you I
may request that you order these for your students ahead of time.
The old astrosites compilation is still accessible. (index from original FOPMO website)
WEB-RESOURCES
COMPILATION as of January, 2009 by Rick
Kang –
INTRODUCTION to UO Physics, Pine Mountain Observatory, Friends of PMO:
On-line Astrophysics Courses from U of O: Many graphics,
explanations, sample problems, images, links.
Series of three, AST121 (Solar System), AST122 (Stars, Galaxy), AST123 (Cosmology).
Several professors' versions available.
Jim Schombert's version is very user friendly, lots of graphics! Start at
http://zebu.uoregon.edu/astrocourses.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------
CURRENT VIEWS and NEWS ABOUT THE SKY Virtual Sky/Planetarium style tour/Where are Planets, etc.: STELLARIUM software: http://stellarium.org/ software free download
Canadian
Meteorologist Attila Danko’s Clear Dark Sky Charts weather forecasts
for next
two days, genrally very accurate for first 12 hours:http://www.cleardarksky.com/csk/
NASA -
see http://www.nasa.gov
for latest info on space probes, manned missions, many current discoveries and
lots of materials for teachers and for students of all ages.
NASA runs
a resource center for hard copy media,
Central
Operation of Resources for Educators - CORE, there's a link at the NASA site.
JPL - see http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/index.html
for latest info about current missions operated to other planets by Jet
Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena,
California.
STScI -
see http://hubblesite.org/
for latest
releases from Hubble Instruments via Space Telescope Science Institute
----------------------------------------------------------------
Digital Orrery that shows relative positions of Planets - select Images instead of Icons, and look at Inner System as well as Full System display mode. Useful in creating Solar System model and predicting what planets are visible when. http://www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/Solar
Professor
Edith Gummer of OSU Science Ed. Department
highly
recommends the booklet, Inquiry and
the National Science Education Standards, A Guide for Teaching and Learning,
published by the National Research Council, National Academy Press. Order book at http://fermat.nap.edu/catalog/9596.html. This is a compilation of standards,
techniques, and case studies. From this
booklet, Essential Features of Classroom Inquiry: 1. Learner
engages in scientifically oriented questions.
2. Learner
gives priority to EVIDENCE in responding to questions.
3. Learner
formulates EXPLANATIONS from evidence.
4. Learner
connects explanations to scientific knowledge.
5. Learner
communicates and justifies explanations.
Order SMOOTH FOAM SPHERES for "Moon on a Stick" and other demos
from Plasteel Corporation in Michigan, they sell six-packs of 3" spheres for $3.30 (plus $4.50 shipping up to several more packs), this is their online catalog Code 10046, Item# 124-6. See http://www.plasteelcorp.com/smoothfoam_styrofoam_balls.htm.
there are many other education resources listed below, listed within several other categories! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Check the SETI Institute for info about search for intelligent life (capable of building and using radios), at http://www.seti.org. Attend a lecture by SETI's Dr. Seth Shostak, great speaker!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS and RESOURCES:
Bill Arnett's Nine Planets reference lists, including most of the Planetarium sky mapping software available plus lists of Messier and NGC objects with images of them, and a listing of world's largest telescopes. See his Solar System pages, too.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ Check
out local Astronomical Societies for outreach presenters and for
opportunity for telescopic viewing of Moon and Planets locally.
Check with the above folks if you want to buy/acquire a telescope, DON’T buy a
“department store” high magnification junk telescope, “you’ll be sorry”!
The Astronomical League, http://www.astroleague.org/, is an association of many of the Astronomical Societies in the US and abroad. AL runs a series of Observer Programs with awards for logging observations of specified objects.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Known Asteroid Locator and other software tools from Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, AZ http://asteroid.lowell.edu/
American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) is the definitive organization for data and procedures about observation of VARIABLE STARS. Go to http://www.aavso.org/.
Similarly, the Associaton of Lunar and Planetary Observers (ALPO) has resources for observation of our Moon plus Solar System Planets. Go to http://alpo-astronomy.org/. APOD revealed a wonderful collection of astrophotos by Florida astrophotographer Noel Carboni, check out his site for a tour of a wide variety of celestial objects from the vantage point of a small telescope and a wide field view.
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