Observing Resources

binosSky Watch

Sky Watcher’s Guide [U of A Flandrau Science Center]
USNO Moon Phase Calculator Calculate date & time, 1800-2199 A.D.
ClearDarkSky Charts [for Tucson area dark sites]
This Week’s Sky at a Glance [Sky and Telescope]
Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)
Spaceweather.com

chartingCharting the Heavens

Messier’s Catalog of Nebulae and Star Clusters
William Herschel’s Catalog of Deep Sky objects
Cartes du Ciel (Free ‘Sky Charts’ Software)
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Moon
Virtual Moon Atlas
All Splendors, No Fuzzies Observing List

magnifierAstronomical Data

Astronomical League
Digitized Sky Survey (DSS)
SIMBAD Astronomical Database
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScl) Astronomy Resources 

cameraAstro-Imaging 

“Barn Door” Tracking Mount for Astrophotography [by Dean Ketelsen]

Why a Refractor Telescope Is Your Best Option for Astrophotography

Cuiv the Lazy Geek – Lazy means that he wants to do things right with as little work as possible

Why I Took Over 1000 Photos of the Pleiades from My Tokyo Balcony

Nebula Photos by Nico Carver – wide range of advice on imaging and equipment

Visible Dark –  Advice on imaging, image processing, and equipment.

Telescopius – Free and easy-to-use deep sky object search and framing tool.

Astronomy Tools – Online calculators helpful to amateur astronomers and imagers.

Field of View calculator (in Imaging Mode) – how your desired astronomical target fits within the field of view for your scope/camera combination.

Processing the Horsehead Nebula – Introductory workflow for PixInsight with simple and clear instructions.

The Imm Deep Sky Compendium – Excel-based database contains more than 3400 deep sky objects. You can search it in many different ways to identify targets of interest to you at any particular time of year.

The 750 Best Deep Sky Objects – Images and data about what he thinks are the best 750 DSOs visible in the Northern Hemisphere.

saturnOther / Miscellaneous

Backyard Pier [by Andrew Cooper & William Lofquist]
Jeremy Perez’s Log Sheets [PDF]
Andrew Johnson’s Mag 7 Star Charts [PDF]

Tips and Activities for Young Beginners

How to Choose a Telescope

How Do Telescopes Work?

Astronomy Resources