TODAY'S TOURBUS TOPIC: Astronomical!

(From Bob Rankin's Tourbus)

Attention Stargazers... Today's TOURBUS post will be all about
Astronomy. If you're an amateur astronomer, or just enjoy the night
sky, you'll like the links and commentary in today's issue.

BLAST OFF...

Our first stop along the celestial highway is the Tourbus Astronomy
News page, which features links to the latest astronomy news stories,
brewed fresh daily! A recent headline asks "Will NASA Put an End to
Astronomy's Golden Age?" You'll also find a large list of astronomy
items on sale at Ebay.

• Astronomy News

  The "Astronomy Picture of the Day" site features a high quality image
  with a description of its significance written by a professional
  astronomer in clear, easy to understand terms. Recent images (as of
  this writing) were "Water on Mars" and "NGC 1316: After Galaxies
  Collide". If you miss one, don't worry, there's an extensive archive
  going back several years.

•    Astro Pix

  Astronomy For Kids is a great site for kids to learn about the night
  sky. In the Sky Maps section, you can find out what's going on in
  the sky this month. (Hey, there's a solar *and* lunar eclipse coming
  soon!) The Sky Wonders section teaches about some of the most awe-
  inspiring and thought-provoking objects that are in the Universe.
  You'll also find Constellations, tips and resources for Beginners,
  and email Postcards you can send to your friends.

• Astronomy For Kids

  The Hawaiian Astronomical Society has created a SPECTACULAR
  astronomical Web site called "Views of the Solar System". The site
  tells you EVERYTHING you could ever want to know about most of the
  astronomical objects in our solar system, gives information about
  the history of astronomy and space travel, and offers stunning
  pictures and movies from around the Solar System.

• Views of the Solar System

  In a similar vein, The Nine Planets is an overview of the history,
  mythology and current scientific knowledge of each of the planets
  and moons in our solar system. Each page has text and images, some
  have sounds and movies, and links to related information.

• Nine Planets

  And finally, some Bad Astronomy. This website is dedicated to
  righting wrong ideas about astronomy and scientific misconceptions
  spread by movies, the media and popular culture. Phil Plait, a
  real-life astronomer, debunks common myths such as Hoagland's Face
  on Mars, the Apollo Moon Hoax and everything you've always wanted
  to know about Standing an Egg on End During the Vernal Equinox .

• Bad Astronomy

  Ever throught about joining an Astronomy Club? Clubs frequently
  offer discounts on astronomy related magazines and other printed
  material, loaner telescopes, and practical advice on how to get
  started in the hobby of Astronomy. Check out this list of clubs
  which covers the whole world:

• Astro Clubs

  If you're USENET savvy, you could try reading sci.astro.amateur.
  Here, amateur astronomers from all over the world, some with a wealth
  of expertise, hang out, ask questions and discuss diverse astronomy
  topics. Quite a few of the posts deal with purchasing the right
  astronomical telescope or the right equipment to go along with it.
  This newsgroup is also another source of late breaking news, on
  comets, meteor showers, and aurorae.

• Newsgroup