Astronomy Resources

Here are some collections of Earth Science related professional literature or links to useful online sources (including classroom lessons and labs).

1.   NASA:  This website features a number of areas where additional information can be found about space and NASA's manned and unmanned space programs.  Educators can find NASA STEM Engagement activities and videos under the NASA Audiences selection (For Educators).

https://www.nasa.gov

2.   Jet Propulsion Laboratory:  This website includes activities, resources, and workshops about space.

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/teach

3.   NASA Solar System Exploration:  This website provides information on our sun, the planets, moons, asteroids, comets, and meteors found in our solar system.  Other topics include the Kuiper Belt, the Oort Cloud, and beyond our solar system (stars, galaxies, black holes, and more).

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/

4.   Astronomical Society of the Pacific:  This website features educational activities for K-12 Science Teachers, Higher Education, and Informal Educators within the Education box found on the home page.

http://astrosociety.org

5.   Space Weather:  This website provides up-to-the-minute "science news about the Earth-Sun environment".  Topics covered include the solar wind, sunspots, solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and geomagnetic storms from the Stanford SOLAR center.

http://www.spaceweather.com

6.   Blue Marble Matches from NASA introduces students to how scientists use Earth processes to gain a better understanding of other planetary bodies in our solar system.

https://www.nasa.gov/stem-ed-resources/blue-marble-matches.html

7.  Remote Sensing Ices on Mars from NASA has students analyzing data collected by Mars spacecraft using three different energies of light (visible, infrared, and gamma) to investigate the composition and distribution of ices at the high latitude regions of Mars.

http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/edu_water_ice_remote_sensing.php

8.  Cosmic Times from NASA provides newspaper readings that tell the history of our understanding of the changing universe tracing the major discoveries in cosmology over the past century.

https://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/educators/programs/cosmictimes/educators/guide/overview/index.html 

9.   Skywatching Tips from NASA provides a list of items you can view in the sky during the current month.  The website is updated each month.

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/whats-up-skywatching-tips-from-nasa/

10.    A Guide to Smartphone Astrophotography features detailed instructions for how to use your smartphone to take photographs of the night sky and numerous astronomical objects including the Moon, planets, deep sky objects and the Sun.

AstrophotographyV1.pdf