Seeing Stars

By Gail Junion-Metz -- School Library Journal, 6/1/1998

For questions about astronomy and space, consult some down-to-earth sites.

Did you know that when sun spots flare up, the Internet goes nuts? And while you've heard of the Northern Lights, how about the Southern Lights? For students and teachers interested in astronomy and space exploration, an infinite number of facts, photos, charts, games, and lessons are at the ready -- if you know where to look.

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!

Want to know what today's weather is on the sun or see the latest aurora activity? The following sites serve as daily astronomy newspapers. While not designed for students, these sites are light on jargon and can be easily adapted for use with both grade schoolers and teenagers. Start off at Space Weather Today, part of the University of Michigan's Windows to the Universe project. Here you can see current photos of the sun and get lesson ideas and answers to those tough reference questions. Star and planet gazers will want to visit What's Up in the Sky?, sponsored by Sky Publishing, creators of Sky & Telescope magazine. Here you'll find a weekly "Sky at a Glance and Planet Roundup," as well as a monthly sky highlight noting an upcoming meteor shower or lunar eclipse.

To keep track of the men and women up in space, visit Visibility Predictions for the Russian Space Station Mir, also by Sky Publishing. Click on the "Predictions for North America" link, locate the city nearest you, and find out the date, time, and location in the sky where you can see Mir pass overhead. Consult the Space Calendar, created by NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab, for the schedule of satellite launches and other events that could be of interest to students, such as an online chat session with the Apollo astronauts. Visit Bill Harwood's Space Space, sponsored by CBS News, to keep up on the space shuttle. Lastly, check out the Astronomy Picture of the Day Web site, sponsored by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Each day brings a different photo and a brief explanation. (The mysterious "face" on the surface of Mars was featured the day I visited.)

Explore In-Depth

Now it's time to move from newspapers to the online encyclopedias of astronomy and space exploration. Looking for out-of-this-world pictures? Visit the NASA Image Exchange, appropriate for grades four and up. NIX is a time-saving search tool that retrieves photos and drawings from the multiple NASA Web sites. I searched for "space suit" and located many different pictures that could be printed or downloaded. The University of Michigan has created Windows to the Universe, suitable for middle and high school students. Here you can get information on just about everything: planets, stars, galaxies, comets, and, of course, rockets and astronauts. Teachers should visit the "Teacher Resources" page for lesson plans, quizzes, and puzzles. (This site contains large graphics, so those with slow modems might have to wait.) You should also check out NASA's education sites, starting with StarChild, designed for students 4 to 14. This general-interest space and astronomy site offers text for two different reading levels. Be sure to take the "There's No Space Like Home" interactive quiz. When a student gives the wrong answer, the program hints at the right answer and prompts the student to think again. The Space Educator's Handbook is a resource-rich site that will be of interest to teachers at all grade levels. Don't miss the "Space Movies Cinema," where you can see video clips of comets, planets, and rocket launches. NASA's Liftoff to Space Exploration site is also a valuable resource. The "Kids Space" page contains puzzles and animated stories suitable for children 6 to 14.

Web Addresses

• Space Weather Today
  windows.engin.umich.edu/spaceweather
• What's Up in the Sky?
  www.skypub.com/whatsup/whatsup.shtml
• Visibility Predictions for the Russian Space Station Mir
  www.skypub.com/mir/mir.shtml
• Space Calendar
  NewProducts.jpl.nasa.gov/calendar/
• Bill Harwood's Space Space
  www.uttm.com/space/
• Astronomy Picture of the Day
  antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
• NASA Image Exchange
  nix.nasa.gov/nix.cgi
• Windows to the Universe
  www.windows.umich.edu/
• StarChild
  heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/StarChild.html
• The Space Educator's Handbook
  tommy.jsc.nasa.gov/~woodfill/SPACEED/SEHHTML/seh.html
• Liftoff to Space Exploration
  liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/