Star and Moon Maps
1. Planisphere
A must-have for beginners. "Uncle Al" has free northern and southern hemisphere planispheres you can print and assemble yourself.
2. Star Map (1)
These free star maps have outlines of some constellations to makes it easier for beginners to follow. This map covers the whole sky down to magnitude 7. Print them out, mark them up, or even laminate them and put them in a binder. In PDF format.
3. Star Map (2)
A more advanced set of 146 star maps down to magnitude 8.5. Like the above maps, these cover the whole sky.
4. Moon Map
The lunar and planetary institute have a series of moon maps showing tremendous detail. Based on detailed photographs from Apollo and unmanned spacecraft.
Courses and Instruction
5. College-Level Courses
iTunes has a two college courses: Astronomy 161 and 162 from Dr. Richard Pogge at Ohio State University. This is much like sitting in a classroom... nothing flashy, but lots of information. Audio only. It's free, but you'll need to install iTunes on your computer.
6. Weekly Course/Podcast
Astronomy Cast has wonderful weekly podcasts on some aspect of astronomy. Fraser Cain of Universe Today and Dr. Pamela Gay explain what we know about the universe and how we know it. Also available on iTunes.
Software
7. Moon Atlas
Free software that gives you customized views of the moon and a complete database of features. For Windows only.
8. Carte du Ciel
Draw your own customized sky charts. For Windows and Linux.
9. Stellarium
Wonderfully realistic planetarium software. Hard to believe it's free. One of my favorites. For Windows, Mac OSX, and Linux.
10. Your Sky
An oldie but a goodie. A free online tool to produce simple star maps which include the current position of the moon and planets. Nothing to download.
Free Web Sites - General Astronomy
11. Universe Today
Gives you daily news and updates on the latest astronomical discoveries and space news.
12. Sky and Telescope
The online version of the venerable magazine for amateur astronomers. Many free articles and resources.
13. Astronomy
Astronomy Magazine's website. Some free resources, but like Sky and Telescope, you need to pay to get full access.
14. Wikipedia
The free online encyclopedia. Hundreds of astronomy-related entries that take you from general interest to college level. Endlessly useful.
15. One-Minute Astronomer
You wouldn't forget us, would you?
Choosing a Telescope
16. Sky and Telescope
Sage advice from the experts at Sky and Telescope
17. Cloudy Nights Forum
Perhaps the finest forum on the internet for discussing astronomical hardware. Many good articles, reviews, and advice from advanced amateurs.
18. RASC
A fine guide to choosing your first telescope. This link brings you directly to a downloadable Microsoft Word file.
What's Up This Month
19. SkyMaps.com
A monthly 2-page printable sky map showing constellations and planets. Includes description of monthly astronomical highlights.
20. Astronomy A Go-Go
A podcast and monthly tour of the night sky. Also gives suggestions of what to look for in your telescope.
21. Heaven's Above
Gives you the position and predicts visibility of man-made satellites, including the Space Shuttle, International Space Station (a must-see), and Hubble Space Telescope.
Books
22. Burhams's Celestial Handbook
A new version of this 3-volume set is nice, though it will set you back $50. But you can find used versions on eBay for as low as $1.00. Not free, but darned close.
23. Nightwatch
Great beginners guide. Early editions are also available on eBay and elsewhere for a dollar or two.
Telescope Making
24. Thompson's Classic
Here's a free online version of the classic "Making Your Own Telescope" by Allyn J. Thompson. A fine work which runs through the history of the telescope before getting into the nitty-gritty of grinding your own mirror and making a solid mount out of plumbing pipe.
25. Four-inch Dobsonian
A complete manual for building your own portable telescope for less than $125.
Bonus Resource...
26. The Universe
Forget your troubles, lie back, and look up at the sky on a clear dark night. A cappuccino at Starbucks might cost you five bucks, but...
... the stars are free!
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