Category Archives: Education

A beginners guide to astronomy

Astronomy newbies should check out the Beginners Guide To Astronomy at Learn Astronomy HQ:

This guide covers how to get started cheaply in astronomy and then progresses to a guide to telescopes and what to consider when buying a telescope. Once you have your equipment the guide covers setting up a telescope, what to start out observing, how to develop your knowledge of the night sky and provides a list of uk astronomy equipment to begin expanding your range and skills.

“Out There: A Small Guide to a Big Universe” – Shurtleff & Latrell

Steve Shurtleff and Joe Latrell have a new book titled, Out There – A Small Guide To A Big Universe

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Space is a really big place. The Earth, the Sun, and all the other planets live in a relatively quiet corner of an average sized Galaxy in a pretty nice cosmic neighborhood. There is plenty of space, lush nebulae and families of stars that pretty much keep to themselves. It’s a great place to be.

Let’s Go Exploring

While we can’t yet warp to other planets to get a close-up look, we have learned a lot about our place in the universe. Robotic probes, powerful telescopes, and human ingenuity have given us the ambition to not only ask questions, but also get answers about our place in the cosmos.

This book is simple guide to the Universe. It doesn’t explain everything, but it does cover some of the more intriguing spectacles and wonders. It’s data that we have discovered in our search to understand where we fit into the universe.

It’s Only An Hour Away By Car

Space is big, but it’s very close to us. You could get there in an hour if your car could go straight up. When we look at the universe, we see distances that just boggle the mind. ‘Out There’ helps you make sense of the numbers by relating them to items and ideas you might come across every day.

Join us in taking a quick adventure around our cosmic block. We’ll learn about some of the wonderful sights to see ‘Out There.’ Grab your ‘Small Guide to a Big Universe’ and let’s get started!

Last Chance – Reach for the Stars ~ National Rocket Competition

A message from Jack Colpas The Rocketman:

Less than 2 months to get your kids into the 7th annual Reach for the Stars ~ National Rocket Competition.   

Deadline August 31st

To help you get started we are including a FREE Launch Set (value over $25) with every order for one dozen or more Competitor Packs (less than $14 each)

Competitor Packs include: rocket kit, supplies for 2 launches, certificate & Registration in the national competition.

Total cost – $165 for 12 Competitor Packs & Launch Set – delivered to you.
Available from Estes or Quest.

Competition is held at your location. No travel hassle or expense.
www.TheRocketman.net

E-mail or call for details.   Limited time offer

 Your kids can’t win it – if they’re not in it!

A new resource guide for exoplanets

Prof. Andrew Fraknoi of the Foothill College Astronomy Department sends this announcement about a new resource guide for the study of exoplanets:

A new annotated guide to written, web, and audio-visual resources for teaching about planets orbiting other stars is now available.  Materials in the guide to this rapidly-changing branch of astronomy include video and audio files of lectures and interviews with leading scientists in the field, phone and tablet apps, a citizen-science web site, popular-level books and articles, and more.

Published by the NASA Astrophysics Education and Outreach Forum and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, the guide can be found as a PDF file at:

http://www.astrosociety.org/education/astronomy-resource-guides/the-search-for-planets-around-other-stars/