Internet Astronomy

by Donna A. Dulo, M.S.

The Internet has grown exponentially over the past few years, and the availability of astronomy sites has grown online along with it. There are literally tens of thousands of astronomy sites on the Web, ranging from basic observers' sites to massive databases and space simulators. However, many beginning astronomers do not know where to start. This brief article will help you get started on an enjoyable mission to the stars right on your desktop.

One strategy is to open a popular astronomy site and follow its associated links. This is an exciting way to explore the Internet's astronomy sites. You can bookmark your favorites, and explore their links as well. Soon you will find that you have acquired a sizable selection of fun and educational sites.

Another strategy is to perform a search on your favorite topic. Using a search engine such as www.msn.com or www.yahoo.com is quick and easy. It is recommended that you try various search engines, as each may provide a different set of results, based on the search engine's quality and capabilities. Searches are best performed by using one or two words in the search box.

A third strategy is to connect to an astronomy web ring. A web ring is a group of related sites that are linked together. At the bottom of each web site there is a box that allows you to jump the next site, or visit a random site on the ring. This is a good way to check out amateur astronomers' personal web pages, which can be quite detailed and informative. Many rings have several hundred sites connected with them.

Finding web rings is easy. A particularly good place to start is Yahoo's list of web rings. Type in http://dir.webring.yahoo.com. This will take you to yahoo's main web ring page. Then scroll down until you see the Astronomy link under the Science heading. Click on the word astronomy and you will be taken to a page that lists dozens of different web rings. Connect to the ring of your choice. As you will see there are web rings for all areas of astronomy including astrophotography, planetary science, deep space astronomy and astronomy for children.

Finally, you can consult popular astronomy periodicals, as they routinely provide lists and advertisements of popular sites. The following is a list of astronomy sites that offers a variety of topics for all ages and levels. Just type in the address and start observing. Happy surfing!