Space+Exploration

[[image:j0219085.gif align="left"]]
Looking for information for your research project? Begin by reviewing this annotated list of web sites, databases, books and encyclopedias. Still unable to find what you need? Please stop by the IMC, and ask Mrs. O'Keefe for help!

**Famous Astronomers** ====[|CosmicQuest Field Guide to the Universe], from the Children's Museum of Indianapolis ==== ====[|Famous Astronomers], from [|ThinkQuest] ==== ====[|Hall of Astronomers], from Enchanted Learning's [|Zoom Astronomy] ====

[|Famous Astronomers and Astrophysicists]


This outstanding database features biographical information from encyclopedias, journals, magazines and newspapers, about people from throughout history, around the world, and all disciplines and subject areas.

**Great Sites **

Learn about the solar system, take a tour of Mars or the stars, check out the "Movie of the Day", and much more at this site.



 [|Windows to the Universe]  Begin your research at this great site, **searchable in both English and Spanish, and featuring information at beginning, intermediate and advanced levels**, to learn about "Our Planets", "Our Solar System", and "Astronomy & the Universe".

 [|The Planets][|, from][|Enchanted Learning]  This terrific site provides a general description of each of the planets, including relative size, a discussion of inner (those planets that orbit close to the sun) vs. outer (those planets that orbit far from the sun) planets, temperature, density, mass, gravitational force, and a day on each of the planets (a day is the length of time that it takes a planet to rotate on its axis (360%) ). It also features a table of information about each of the planets, including distance from the sun, period of revolution around the sun, period of rotation, mass, diameter, apparent size from earth, temperature and number of moons. An interactive puzzle on the solar system and "Find It", a quiz about the planets, can also be found at this site.

 [|The Nine Planets: A Multimedia Tour of the Solar System], by Bill Arnett, offers an overview of the history, mythology and current scientific knowledge about the planets and moons in our solar system, and features text, images, some movies, and references to related information. Be sure to check out [|Solar System Overview] for general information about the sun, the nine planets, satellites of the planets and more, as well as links to images of the planets, and other related sites. (Be sure to scroll down entire page, so that you don't miss any of the useful available links.)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">[|Our Solar System: Overview] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">(Check out NASA's [|Planetary Fact Sheets] and [|StarChild: A Learning Center for Young Astronomers], too.)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">[|Solar System], from Sites for Teachers

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> [|NASA's Space Place] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> Visit this fun and informative site, available in English and [|Spanish]. (Click on [|cool subjects] to find information about the "Planets and the Solar System.")

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> [|BBC Science & Nature: Space] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> Learn about the sun, planets, moon, asteroids, comets and much more at this site.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> [|Meteors and Meteor Showers: The Science], by Robert Roy Britt, from [|Space.com]

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> [|National Geographic: Solar System]

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> [|KidsAstronomy.com]: [|Solar System] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> This site, featuring easy-to-understand text, includes information about the sun, planets, moons of our solar system, asteroids and comets.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> [|The Solar System] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> This StarChild site, created in conjunction with NASA, provides information about the solar system, as well as about each of the planets. (This site offers two reading levels. These links, to information about the [|solar system] and each of the [|planets], challenge the reader with more sophisticated text.)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> [|How Planets and Satellites got Their Names], by [|Fact Monster], from Information Please

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> [|Curious About Astronomy? Ask an Astronomer], <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">hosted by the Astronomy Department at Cornell University

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> This wonderful site is loaded with helpful information about "Our Solar System", "Our Universe", "Observational Astronomy", and much more. Each subject includes an extensive list of questions that have been asked and answered, and links to other great information, as well as a search feature.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> [|Views of the Solar System], by Calvin J. Hamilton <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> Learn about the sun, planets, moons comets, asteroids, and much more at this site.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> [|Cool Cosmos]

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;"> This site features information, images and games. Move your cursor to "Cosmic Kids" and "Ask an Astronomer", play games (including Concentration, Slider Puzzles, Hangman, Hide and Seek, Word Search, and others), see videos, and more. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;"><span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">(//**Ask an IMC staff member for the User Name and Password you'll need to use BrainPOP**//.) Check out these BrainPop animated movies: "Big Bang: the Beginning of Everything" <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">"Planets of the Solar System: What's Your Favorite Planet?" <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">"Jupiter: Why Do They Call It a 'Gas Giant'?" <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">"Milky Way: There's No Galaxy Like Home!" <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">"Sun: Good Day, Sunshine" <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">"Venus: Earth's Weird Twin" <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">"Solar System: Planetary Madness" <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">"Mars: Are There Really Martians?" <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">"Neptune: The Other Blue Planet!" <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">"Uranus: a Gas Giant on Its Side!" <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">"Eclipse: It's Dark, But Don't Go To Sleep" <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">"Satellites: Orbital Helpers!" <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">"Asteroids: What's So Interesting About Rocks Floating in Space?" <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">"Solar System: Our Little Corner of the Galaxy" <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">"Life Cycle of Stars: Star Light, Star Bright!" <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">"Galaxies: Huge Collections of Stars" <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">"Black Holes: the Inescapable Conclusion of a Star" <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">[|Space Today Online: Stories of our Solar System], edited by Anthony R. Curtis, Ph.D. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">This wonderful online news magazine is loaded with information "covering space from Earth to the end of the universe." <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%; text-align: left;">[|Constellation Home Page], from the American Association of Amateur Astronomers