Switch to Space
The challenge of an expansive environment
Solar X-ray: Geomagnetic field:
News May 2008:
Mars exploration vehicle Phoenix had landed on UTC 2008-05-25 23:53
Total Eclipse of the Sun July 22, 2009 India / South-East Asia.
Switch to Space Events Archive
Other space news: ESA | NASA | Asteroids | CBAT | Spacer
General Astronomy
Speed of light is 299.792.458 metres per second.
Positional Astronomy
Astronomical coordinate systems explained. Switch
Courses in Astronomy
Hyper text lections on various topics. Switch
Astronomy Unbound
Astronomy pages covering many astronomy and related issues. Switch
Handbook of Space Astronomy and Astrophysics
Martin V. Zombeck, second edition. Switch
Encyclopedia of Astronomy and Astrophysics
Hyper text lections on various topics. Switch
Space physics
NSSDC space physics data. Switch
Handbook of Space Astronomy and Astrophysics
Advanced study. Second Edition by Martin V. Zombeck. Switch
Astronomy and Space Science
Index of resources. Switch
NASA Science
Popular articles related to space science. Switch | Conmutar
ESA Astrophysics
Astrophysics research and news. Switch
ADC Astronomical Data Center
Data set collections from professional astronomers. Switch
About the Àryabhatíya
Accuracy of early Indian astronomical calculations. Switch
Solar System
On this page: Solar System | Sun | Mercury | Venus | Earth | Mars | Jupiter | Saturn | Uranus | Neptun | Pluto | Kuiper Belt | Asteroids and Comets
Solar System Simulator
A simulation how planets might appear at given date/time/place. Very nice. Switch
Solar System Live
A graphical view of the Solar System.
Controls allow you to set time, date, location. Switch
ESA Solar System exploration projects
Cassini/Huygens, Cluster, Soho, Ulysses. Switch
Views of the Solar System
Click on the desired planet. Switch
Solar System Lithograph Set
Solar System traveler companion, images and fact sheets (PDF). Switch
Dundee Astronomy Page
Planet Data. Position Charts. Switch
The nine planets
Inside Solar System. Switch Mirrors
Planetary Sciences at NSSDC
NSSDC resources. Switch
Heliospheric Planet Coordinates
Available for planets from Venus to Neptune. Switch
IMO International Meteor Organization
How, where and when to observe Meteors. Switch
Mt. Wilson Observatory
Insights on space observation. Switch
Minor Planet Center
Lists and plots related to minor planets. Switch
Leonid meteors
Pictures and descriptions of the meteor storm 1966 and predictions. Switch
LPI Lunar and Planetary Institute
Stereo Atlas of the Solar System / Exploring the moon Switch
ESO European Southern Observatory
European organisation for astronomical research.
Very large telescope project. Switch
Windows to the Universe
Earth and Space Science tour. Switch
- Sun -
The Sun started to burn Hydrogen to Helium around 4.600.000.000 years ago.
Or does the Sun burn iron?
Temperatures:
Core 15.000.000°C > Photosphere 6.000°C > Chromosphere 50.000°C > Corona over 1.000.000°C
Diameter 1.390.000 kilometres.
Earth is closest to Sun on January 2 (perihelion).
Earth is farthest away from Sun on July 2 (aphelion).
Solar Terrestrial Activity Report
Flares, mass ejections and coronal holes. Switch
Sun Status
Solar Activity Monitor. Switch
TRACE Transition Region and Coronal Explorer
Images from the Sun orbiter at Lockheed Martin. Switch
TRACE small explorer mission
Data about the Sun orbiter from NASA. Switch
Virtual Sun
Knowledge about the Sun. Switch
Aurora
Sun
Images and information. Switch
SOI Solar Oscillations Investigation
Jet streams of plasma flowing inside the sun. Switch
From Core to Corona
Layers of the sun. Switch
Sun
Overview and explanation of common terms like convection and sunspots. Switch
Stanford Solar Center
Entertaining education and discoveries. Switch
SOHO Solar and Heliospheric Observatory
Observations in the field of helioseismology, solar atmosphere and solar wind. Switch
- MERCURY -JPL Mercury
Planet profile. Switch
- VENUS -JPL Venus
Planet profile. Switch
- EARTH -
Earth was formed around 4.500.000.000 years ago. Diameter ~ 12.756 kilometres equatorial, ~ 12.713 km poles. Perihelion year 365,259636 days Siderial year 365,256366 days Tropical year 365,242199 days On Earth live an estimated 5.000.000 species. The number of species is decreasing. The highest number of species are among insects, fungi and worms living in the ocean sediments. Fossilized remains of early organisms have been found in sediments that appear to be around 3.500.000.000 years old. Theories of human evolution
(more on evolution)Google Earth
Zoomable Earth globe with close up satellite maps showing details up to cars
with overlays for land and man-made features. Needs internet connection
to constantly update map and overlay data while changing views. Switch
NASA World Wind
Zoomable Earth globe with close up satellite maps and recent Earth observation data.
Check if your video card is listed. Needs internet connection to constantly update
map and overlay data while changing views.
There is also a JAVA version for download. Switch
GéoPortail France
Zoomable satellite view. Needs internet connection. Switch
Moscow from above
Zoomable satellite view. Needs internet connection. Switch
Earth viewer
Shows Earth's globe for given date/time/position with day/night shading and city lights. Switch
Globe Visualization
Configurable maps of the Earth. Switch
SSEC Space Science and Engineering Center
Satellite composite images of the Earth globe. Switch
ESA Earth Watching
Satellite images of fires, floods and more. Switch
Operational significant event imagery
Weather satellite images from storms to volcanoes. Switch
Global Change Master Directory
Earth environment data. Switch
Gletscher Archiv - Glacier Archive
Documents how large glaciers have been diminished within a century. Switch
EarthRISE
Zoomable topographic world map. For some areas there are photos on close approach. Switch
Earthweek
From african snow to tropical storms - a map of last weeks occurances. Switch
USGS Near Real Time Earthquake List
Time, place, strength of recent earthquakes listed. Switch
USGS National Earthquake Information Center
Worldwide seismic activities. Switch
MTU Earth's Active Volcanoes
Worldwide volcanic activities. Switch
Tide and Current Predictor
Switch
Topex
Current altimeter data map Switch
Tropical Storms Worldwide
Tracking current tropical cyclones and data archive. Switch
Ozone Hole
The ozone hole clearly explained and illustrated with graphics and movies. Switch
Aurora Forecast
Maps, images and information. Switch
EarthExplorer
Specialized Earth data sets. Switch
The Great Globe Gallery
Many images of the earth globe in different projection types. Switch
USGS Antarctic Atlas
Switch
Listen to lightning
Switch
Oceans from space
Switch
Mr. Eclipse
Solar and lunar eclipses for beginners. Switch
NASA Eclipses I
Switch
NASA Eclipses II
Switch
- Earth's Moon -
Moon is around 384.399 kilometres away from Earth. Diameter ~ 3.476 kilometres. Moon month 29,5306 days.Moon viewer
Moon globe from given date/time/position. Switch
Moon images
High resolution images from earlier Moon missions. Switch
Diversion - fake moon landing argumentation rejected
At least the flag mistake will not show up again on stormy Mars :)
While you follow the to and fro you can learn many titbits about
Moon and missions. Switch
- MARS -Mars Scan
Mars is covered on a special page. Switch
- JUPITER -
Jupiter has more than 60 moons. The orbits of Jupiter's inner moons Io, Europa and Ganymede are gravitationally interlocked.
When Io does 4 circles around Jupiter, Europa does 2 and Ganymede 1 circle.
Galileo Probe
News and images from the probe that has explored Jupiter and its moons. Switch
JPL Jupiter
Planet profile. Switch
- SATURN -33 moons have been spotted around Saturn.
NASA JPL Cassini Saturn Mission
Mission reports and images. Switch
Cassini NSSDC
Information about the Saturn orbiter. Switch
JPL Saturn
Saturn planet profile. Switch
- URANUS -JPL Uranus
Planet profile. Switch
- NEPTUNE -Neptune has at least 11 moons, some as small as 40 kilometres (25 miles) in diameter.
JPL Neptune
Planet profile. Switch
- PLUTO -JPL Pluto
Planetoid profile. Switch
- Kuiper Belt = Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt = Trans-Neptunian Belt -Kuiper Belt
Switch
2004 DW
Large Kuiper Belt object, estimated 1.600 kilometers diameter. Switch
Quaoar
Large Kuiper Belt object, estimated 1.250 kilometers diameter. Switch
- Asteroids and Comets -An estimated one in six of the big near-Earth asteroids may be actually
two asteroids orbiting each other. This can result in a double hit.
A double system circling around a common axis is more difficult to engage
and increases prediction complexity.
Deep impact
Will current technology reliable hit a comet? How does it affect its motion? Switch
NEODyS Near Earth Objects Dynamic Site
Near Earth asteroids information center. Switch | Backup Switch
Minor Planet Center
News on NEOs, ephemerides, lists like potentially dangerous asteroids. Switch
Minor Planet Electronic Circular
New data about minor planets and comets. Switch
Asteroid shapes and spin states
Radar and optical data of Earth crossing asteroids. Switch
Impact Craters on Earth
Maps of known impact craters for each continent. Switch
NASA JPL Comet Observation
Recent comet observations. Switch
Milky Way - our home galaxy
In the Milky Way are at least 200.000.000.000 stars.
Milky Way and Andromeda galaxy merger
Timeline: 3.000.000.000 years. Switch
San Francisco State University Planet Search Project
New planets found with the Doppler Technique. Switch
Why Files
How to find a new planet. Switch
Falling Into a Black Hole
Images what it might be to approach a black hole Switch
Black Holes and Neutron Stars
Discription of the visible distortions if one would travel near a highly compacted star. Switch
Variable Stars
American Association of Variable Star Observers. Switch
SETI Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
Includes Project Phoenix. Switch
Galaxies
Galaxies
Basic facts and pictures of galaxies. Switch
Univers
The Univers is an estimated 15.000.000.000 years old.
Cosmology
Dark matter, Cosmology and large-scale structure of the universe. Switch
String theory
A theory about the small scale consistency of all matter. Switch
Satellites & Spacecrafts
Satellites in a geosynchronous orbit stay over the same area of Earth
in a height of about 35.800 kilometres (22.250 miles).
ESA Satellites
Track the orbits of ESA satellites. Switch
Heavens Above
Tracking ISS, Space Shuttle and more. Switch
J-Pass
Nightsky
Nightsky with stars, planets, Sun, Moon and various crossing satellites.
Needs a java enabled browser. Switch
Spacecraft
Position tracker of some spacecraft like MIR, Hubble and Space Shuttle.
Needs a java enabled browser. Switch
Weather
Real time positions of important weather satellites.
Needs a java enabled browser. Switch
Space Shuttle
Missions Timetable
Dates of the next missions. Switch
Status Reports
An archive from 1994 to the latest Space Shuttle status reports. There are also payload status reports and monthly weather statistics. Switch
Jonathan's Space Report
Covers all space launches, including piloted missions and automated satellites. Switch
NSSDC SPACEWARN Bulletin
Distribution of information on satellites and space probes. Switch
Space technology
Information on space programmes, technology and history. Switch
International Space Station
The international space station is a cooperative project of 16 nations. Switch
Galileo Position System
Planned European satellite based position information network with higher available precision than GPS. Switch
Peroxide Propulsion
Replacing toxic rocket propellant hydrazine/nitrogen tetroxide with hydrogen peroxide. Switch
M2P2 Mini-Magnetospheric Plasma Propulsion
New small ionized helium plasma drive. Switch
Langley Technical Reports
NASA proceedings. Switch
NASA Technical Reports
Rockets, robots, rovers... Switch
Small Satellite home page
Satellite knowledge. Switch
Satellite Design
Reflections on current and future satellite design. Switch
Satellite Encyclopedia
Fact sheets with basic launch and payload information for a lot of satellites. Switch
Orbital mechanics
With orbital velocity and period calculator. Switch
ASF Alaska SAR Facility:
Tracking and receiving stadion for international
Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data. Switch
After Earth
Humans living in space or on other planets
B612 Foundation
Preventing a harmful asteroid impact on Earth. Switch
Space ventures
Privately organized space program. Switch
Space visits
Travel agency for Earth orbit flights. Switch
Terraforming Information Pages
Making planets Earth-like. Switch
Alien Planet Designer
Switch
American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology
Switch
National Space Biomedical Research Institute
Switch
NASA Life and Microgravity Sciences
Switch
UN Space Law
Switch
Images
Nasa Images
Features images from various NASA collections. Switch
Two Micron All Sky Survey
Sky, galaxy and cluster images. Switch
Impress
To search in several astronomical databases. Switch
NEAR Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous
Close up images of asteroid 433 Eros. Switch
SOHO very latest images
Up-to-date images of the Sun. Switch
Solar views
Image collection of the Sun from various sources. Switch
NOAO National Optical Astronomy Observatory
Images from Sun to Galaxies. Switch
XMM X-ray Multi Mirrors
Advanced X-ray space telescope in an elongated approx. 7.000 to 114.000 kilometres orbit. Switch
XEUS
Planned X-ray space observatory as a higher sensitive follow up to XMM. Switch
Integral
Gamma-ray space observatory (0.2 to 0.0008 nanometers, 15 keV to 10 MeV) in high orbit outside Earth's radiation belt. Switch
Chandra
Images from the X-ray space observatory. Switch
Hubble Space Telescope
Latest images from the hubble space telescope. Switch
Galileo
Images from Jupiter and its moons. Switch
NIX NASA Image eXchange
Interface to NASA image collections. Switch
NASA Planetary Photojournal
Images of the Solar System. Switch
PDS Planetary Data System Imaging Node
Images of the planets. Switch
APOD Astronomy Picture of the Day
Galaxies, stars and planets. Switch
GRIN Great Images in NASA
Collection wit high-resolution images. Switch
NASA Earth Observatory
Views and news, Earth from above. Switch
HSF Space Shuttle Gallery
Images and videos from the Space Shuttle missions. Switch
KAO Kuiper Airborne Observatory
Images from an observatory flying in an aircraft. Switch
Self made planet pictures
How to make pictures with video camera and small telescope. Switch
Observatories - Sensors - Detectors
Arecibo Observatory
Effelsberg Radio Observatory
Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory
Maunakea Observatory
Mount Stromlo Observatory
Owens Valley Radio Observatory
Subaru Observatory
VLA Very Large Array
Switch
Switch
Switch
Switch
Switch
Switch
Switch
Switch
Star Maps
Interactive Sky Map
Night sky map, user definable sections. Switch
Hipparcos & Tycho Catalogues
Approximate star positions. Switch
STScI Digitized Sky Survey
Image database of the night sky. Switch
NASA SkyView
Pictures of the celestial skys at various selectable wavelenghts. Switch
MWO Star Map
You will need a postscript printer or a program that can view postscript. Switch
Starchart Map Server
You will need a postscript printer or a program that can view postscript. Switch
Navigational Star Chart
PDF from the US Navy. Switch
Astronomy Software
Sky view, planetarium, simulators:
- Orbital elements for software packages
- Stellarium nice looking night sky display
- Orbiter shuttle mission simulator (Win9 with DirectX7)
- Celestia space system and travel simulator (Linux/Win9/Mac)
- Infinite Universe Engine solar system simulator with real time surface rendering
- Hallo northern sky Tycho, Hipparcos, GSC, SAO, deepsky, asteroid data (Win3/Win9-XP)
- 3D Solar System simulator (Win32)
- Maestro interface to mars rover mission images with various filter tools (linux/windows/mac), Mars data updates
- Sky Charts program (Win32)
- StarCalc (Win9/NT, 753k) & databases
- Sky Globe (DOS, 363k)
- Desktop Earth - updates desktop background with image of earth surface as lit by the sun.
- Globe - 3D Earth globe, planets positions (Win32/DirectX, 132k)
- Mirapla (DOS, 124k)
Sky screen saver:
- Sky for Win32 (190k) or Sky for Win16 (210k)
Sky for current time and location with constellation names and boundaries,
positions of sun and planets and deep sky objects.
Satellite tracking:
- Orbitron sky and ground track of satellites (Win32).
- STSORBIT PLUS (copy) (DOS, 782k)
STSORBIT PLUS TLE data updates
Spinning globe with earth quake display:
- Xearth (Win32, 170k)
Moon calculations:
- Moon Calc (DOS)
Moon Phase:
- Northern Hemisphere | Southern Hemisphere (Win32)
Astronomical clock:
- Astroclock (DOS, 438k)
Jupiter's moons positions:
- Galsat (DOS)
Saturn's moons positions:
- Satsat (DOS)
Local sidereal time:
- Online
Approximate 3-D distribution of star clusters in our galaxy:
- Milky Way viewer (DOS, 73k) -
Each point represents around 10 million stars. When you fly through keep in mind
that we are not yet able to travel from one of these points to the next.
Works also nicely as a screensaver (Control + q to quit).
Stars seen from any given position in the galaxy with distance and information:
- Sky3D (DOS, 626k)
3-D Modell of distribution of nearby galaxies:
- Our Cosmohood (DOS, 129k)
Space Organizations
ASI Italian Space Agency
BNSC British National Space Centre
CAST China Academy of Space Technology
CNES Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales
CSA Canadian Space Agency
DLR German Aerospace Research Establishment
ESA European Space Agency
IKI Russian Space Research Institute
NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NASDA Japanese Space Agency | Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency | ISAS Japan Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
NLR Netherlands National Aerospace Laboratory
SSC Swedish Space Corporation