Rashid's Blog: A Place for Inquisitive Souls

Guest Post by Gordan Smith

Astronomy being one of our favorite hobbies, we try to keep abreast of the subject as much as we can. Fortunately, there’s an abundance of available resources online that cater to both amateur and experienced astronomers alike. Photo galleries, star maps, equipment advice, plus tips on where to look in the night sky are just a few of the resources at the stargazer’s disposal online. The following are ten blogs where stargazers go to gaze and contemplate:

1. Bad Astronomy(Discover Magazine) – Created by Phil Plait, who spent ten years      working on that little project known as the Hubble Telescope, and authored      numerous articles as well as two books on the subject of astronomy. Check      out one of his books here.
2. Skymania – A UK-based      astronomy site that’s rich in news resources for the novice astronomer.      Check out the Sky Tonight tab for current tips on what’s going on      overhead, and where to find it. The Stargazing tab is a handy link to      begin if you’re unsure where to start.
3. Wonders of      Stargazing – This blog was created by the folks at      Skymania, and is especially designed for targeting the beginner stargazing      audience. Tips on night sky viewing, nearby planets, the moon, and even      help with selecting a telescope are provided through the tabbed menu on      the header.
4. NASA Blogs – Here      is where space cadets can stay on top of what’s happening at NASA. There      are also blogs for various ongoing projects and events, like a recent      fireball sighting over Georgia and asteroid tracking noted in the Watch      The Skies section.
5. Astroblog – Ian      Musgrave of Adelaide, South Australia covers the Southern Hemisphere for      astronomy buffs. He and his 8” scope, Don, partner to bring visitors some      rather spectacular images and his blog makes for some very educational      reading.
6. The Planetary Society – Co-founded      by none other than Carl Sagan, this site is dedicated to the promotion of      space exploration. Take a tour through the site, and discover all that the      Society is involved in. Start with the Explore tab, and prepare to be      amazed.
7. Universe Today – Fraser      Cain, partnering with Phil Plait of the aforementioned Bad Astronomy fame      (see #1), publishes this blog, whose Guide to Space tab, and forum are      enormously instructional for the novice stargazer.
8. Will Gater – For truly      awe-inspiring celestial photos, Will Gater’s blog is a guaranteed hit.      Take a tour through his impressive library of astrological images, spend      some time reading his enlightening micro-blog journal, or peruse any of      his available articles for a more in-depth look at his take on astrology.
9. Astronomy Picture of the      Day – Speaking of astro-images, on this site you can find a huge      archive of deep space images, submitted from various sources, including      NASA. Many of the full-resolution photos are visually astounding.
10. Women in Astronomy –      Filling a unique and welcome niche for the stargazing community, Women in      Astronomy provides enlightening background and inspirational examples for      the budding future ladies of the cosmos.

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