Mount Wilson Observatory - Hosted by the Mount Wilson Institute, a non-profit organisation whose goal is to maximise the scientific and educational potential of the observatory and facilities, the Mount Wilson Observatory website certainly helps do just that. For those unfamiliar with the facility, the best place to start is the virtual tour, designed to give the visitor a feel for the grounds and to present some of the history and heritage of the observatory itself. Supported by frames, the tour walks you through the observatory, right from the front gate, and provides ample links to different aspects of interest. The remainder of the site is dedicated to the scientific programs being undertaken at the observatory, and the history of the site, including many images. The observatory is host to several ongoing projects. There are two primary night-time telescopes in operation. One is a 60-inch telescope built in 1908, the second a 100-inch Hooker built in 1917. The 100-inch telescope has the instrumentation for adaptive optics allowing it to remove the blurring effect of the atmosphere on images, thus rendering them as sharp as the images from NASA's Hubble telescope in space. In addition, two solar observatories are in operation and the site also hosts three interferometers, which act in concert allowing the investigation of stars at much finer resolution than is possible through single aperture telescopes. Budding astronomers can also request observing time through the site on the 100-inch telescope at the observatory. However, at $2700 per night the price is likely to be too steep for most. A well thought out and interesting site, which is easy to navigate, the only down side is that some of the sections require updating. Rating: 8 out of 10 (28 February 2003) LH
http://www.mtwilson.edu/
Imagine the Universe - You are invited to "Imagine the Universe!" at the NASA/Goddard Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics, with a site aimed at school students aged 14 and up, or anyone else interested in the wonders of the cosmos. There is, unsurprisingly, an emphasis on the high energy end of the spectrum - X-rays and gamma rays - and its application to exotic phenomena like black holes, pulsars, active galaxies, and supernova remnants. There's an excellent set of science articles, split into four sections: astronomical basics, the objects that make up the universe, some "cosmic questions", and the equipment and methods used to study them. An interesting approach is to have both basic and advanced versions of these articles, so you can choose the amount of detail for yourself. The site also has regularly updated news articles, interactive investigations that you can do (under the enticing heading "You be the Astrophysicist!"), teachers' resources, and "featured scientists" to put a human face on all the research. The sheer amount of material on this site makes it well worth a browse. Whilst there are plenty of animated movies available to illustrate the articles, the site is still usable and interesting without watching them. If you still have questions, you can make use of the "Ask a High Energy Astronomer" page, or look at past answers. This is a good resource for school students, but even if you're just looking for beautiful images and exciting astronomy you'll find something worthwhile at "Imagine the Universe!". Rating: 8 out of 10 (9 November 2002) DP-P
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/
Virtual Sky - Astronomy abounds on the Internet. There are almost as many sites as there are stars in the sky. Obviously, the likes of NASA have something of a monopoly on the big stuff, such as Hubble images, but there is still a place for the alternative views. The Virtual Sky project provides some quite stunning, images of the night sky. They are not simply provided as a photo album as some lesser sites might use, nor do they cover only the popular tourist traps - the horse head nebula, binary stars, supernovae, comets and the like. The virtual sky maps the entire northern sky at high resolution having assimilated the complete DPOSS survey (Digital Palomar Observatory Sky Survey). The sites interface is very easy to use, simply point and click to zoom in and out of a region of the sky. Maximum resolution is 1.4 seconds per pixel, a magnification of 2000, which offers a stunning "close-up" view of stellar systems. Admittedly there actually is gallery of interesting places, which is nice and a bulletin board where users can record comments. The site is Virtual Sky is the result of a collaboration between the Caltech Center for Advanced Computing Research, Johns Hopkins University, the Sloan Sky Survey and Microsoft Research. Rating: 10 out of 10 (28 October 2002) DB
http://virtualsky.org/index.html
Multiwavelength Astronomy - Expand your view of the universe with "Multiwavelength Astronomy". When you think of astronomy, you may be imagining optical telescopes which work with visible light. Look again; this site will show you how visible light is just one small part of the entire "electromagnetic spectrum" which stretches from radio waves at one end to X-rays and gamma rays at the other. The pages form a tour which shows you what astronomical objects would look like if your eyes could see beyond the narrow visible wavelength range. There is a stunning picture of the Sun in ultraviolet light and an infrared view of star formation in the constellation Orion. The supernova remnant Cassiopeia A shines with radio waves, produced by speeding electrons whirling in magnetic fields. We even get unusual views of our familiar neighbour, the Moon. There is a good explanation of the science behind these images, and the astrophysical phenomena represented by the different wavelengths. The site itself is very simple, with plain text and graphics, and a few links to other resources. There are no animations, and you won't need any plug-ins. The real stars of the show are the breathtaking images of the cosmos, which make "Multiwavelength Astronomy" well worth a visit. Rating: 8 out of 10 (10 October 2002) DP-P
http://www.ipac.caltech.edu/Outreach/Multiwave/
SpaceWeather.com - Simply laid out and quick to load, this site is all about maximising the access to information. A clean and uncluttered look enables easy access to news and information about meteor showers, solar flares, auroras, and near-Earth asteroids. At first glance the site can seem confusing and, for the beginner, overwhelming. The approach is technical and exacting with data being fed in regularly throughout the day and night. For the less technically inclined the site offers a large glossary, useful tips, explanations and pointers throughout the narrative. A large gallery is also a welcome addition to the site. Hidden away on the homepage at the very bottom of the screen is an opportunity to tune in to NASA's forward scatter meteor radar system. Although it only covers meteoroid activity above the southeastern United States it is still worth a quick listen. The best results seemed to be had using Real Player. Mostly aimed at the serious hobbyist, this site still manages to cater to the dabblers amongst us. Rating: 10 out of 10 (18 September 2002) ALD
http://www.spaceweather.com/index.html
