Orange County Astronomers -- Virtual Astronomy

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www.OCAstronomers.org / e-zine/ virtual_astronomy /

The Virtual Astronomy web page is an online extension of the series of articles published in the Sirius Astronomer publication of the Orange County Astronomers.

This page lists a number of handy links to sites containing astronomy software, based on the article series, plus some new and updated links contributed by long time OCA member Matt Ota.

Mars 2005
	2003-2005 Mars Simulaton Stillness Menu. This web site will display the face of Mars for any time by 30 minute increments. By T.Ikemura Japan	http://www.kk-system.co.jp/Alpo/MS2005/MSmenu.htm
	Mars Previewer II This freeware program will show you the phase and face of Mars for your time and location. By Leandro Rios, Argentina	http://skyandtelescope.com/resources/software/article_328_2.asp
Launches
	Space Archive This is Brian Webb's site that monitors upcoming Vandenberg AFB launches.	http://www.spacearchive.info/

Solar Observing
	Yahoo Groups - solar observers	[http://groups.yahoo.com/group/solar-observers/]
	Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences	[http://www.astro.su.se/groups/solar/solar.html]
Comet Ikeya-Zhang
	Sky & Telescope article	[http://skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/comets/article_477_1.asp]
	space.com article	[http://www.space.com/spacewatch/spacewatch_comet_020309.html]
	Spaceweather.com's image gallery	[http://www.spaceweather.com/comets/gallery_iz.html]

	Jim Janusz	[http://www.astroimager.net/Page-105-14.html] [http://www.astroimager.net/Page-180-42.html]
	Dave Kodama	[http://www.eanet.com/kodama/astro/]
	Wally Pacholka	[http://www.astropics.com/ikeyzhan.htm]
	Bill Patterson	[http://www.laastro.com/tak1st_color.html]
	Philip Perkins	[http://www.astrocruise.com/iz020407.htm]
	Philipp Salzgeber	[http://www.salzgeber.at/astro/pics/comets/ikeyaZhang1.htm]
	Russ Sipe	[http://www.sipe.com/starcruiser/observatory/gallery/gallery_animations.html]
	Loke Tan	[http://www.starryscapes.com/comets/ikeya-zhang_apr14_frame1-3.html]
	Bob Yen	[http://www.comet-track.com/iz/iz.html]
"Extreme" Astronomy
	Mt. Laguna	[http://www.eanet.com/kodama/astro/2002/0315/]


Astronomy "Expedition" Sites
	Chris Cook's article on southern California sites	[http://www.abmedia.com/astro/articles/socal.html]
	Phil Harrington's North American site list	[http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/pharrington/Dssd.htmPhil]
	Brian Webb's (North America) site list	[http://home.earthlink.net/~kd6nrp/darksites.htm]
	The Astronomy Connection (TAC) list (CA)	[http://observers.org/sites/]


Astronomy B&B's
	Star Hill Inn (New Mexico)	[http://www.nmskies.com/]
	New Mexico Skies	[http://www.starhillinn.com/]
	Sunglow Ranch (AZ)	[http://www.sunglowranch.com/stargazing.html]


Messier Marathon Links
	SEDS (Students for the Exploration and Development of Space) based on Don Macholz's book "Messier Marathon Observer's Guide"	[http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/messier/xtra/marathon/marath.html]
	SEDS Messier Marathon printable log form to be filled in as you observe.	[http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/messier/xtra/marathon/marath1.txt]
	Tips for surviving the marathon (John Barra, Peoria Astronomical Society)	[http://www.astronomical.org/astbook/messier1.htm]
	More Messier Marathon tips (Springfield, MA Stars Club)	[http://www.reflector.org/MESSIER.HTM]
	Richard Bell's Stargazer Online's Messier Marathon article	[http://www.richardbell.net/marathon.html]
	Phil Harrington's Messier Marathon page	[http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/pharrington/marathon.htm]
	For those who like to plan ahead -- A list of the best dates for a Messier Marathon until the year 2039!	[http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/messier/xtra/marathon/mm-dates.html]
	Messier object list with photographs by David Malin.	[http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/messier/more/m-aat.html]

Palm / Pocket PC Discussion Groups
	PalmAstro	[http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Palmastro]
This is the Palm / Pocket PC User Group home page. You must have a Yahoo ID and subscribe to this group in order to access this page and receive the optional postings by email.
	PalmAstro Support Page	[http://skywatch.brainiac.com/Palmastro/palmastro.htm]
Palm / Pocket PC User Group support page (Rod Mollise)
Palm/Pocket PC AvantGo Astronomy Pages
	AvantGo application (free)	[http://www.avantgo.com/]
	Chris Butler's What's Up planet page	[http://www.sciencecenter.net/whatsup/]
Palm Astronomy Applications
	Planetarium	[http://www.aho.ch/pilotplanets/]
	Palm Atlas	[http://astro.isi.edu/palmatlas/]
	Star Pilot	[http://www.star-pilot.com/sp/index.html]
	NGC View	[http://www.star-pilot.com/ngc/index.html]
	Sidereal time	[http://www.ecamm.com/palm/sidereal/]
	Pocket Sat	[http://www.bigfattail.com/pocketsat/index.html]
	Mars Previewer	[http://www.shallowsky.com/software/mars2001.html]
Pocket PC Astronomy Applications
	Pocket Stars	[http://www.nomadelectronics.com]
	The Sky PE (Software Bisque)	[http://www.bisque.com/Products/TheSkyPE/TheSkyPE.asp]
	Pocket Deep Sky 2000	[http://www.deepsky2000.net/pocket.html]
	Pocket Universe 2000	[http://www.stellarmetrics.com/Software/pu2000.htm]
	Meade Pocket Pictor	[http://www.meade.com/catalog/pictor/pocketpictor.html]


Amateur Astronomers' Images
	Antonio Cidadao	[http://www.astrosurf.com/cidadao/]
	Ed Grafton	[http://www.ghg.net/egrafton/]
	Tan Wei Leong	[http://www.geocities.com/weileong27/mars.html]
	Pat Stoker (OCA)	[http://home.earthlink.net/~pjstok/wp10_intro.htm]
NASA Photos
	NASA probe photos (NSSDC)	[http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/photo_gallery/photogallery-mars.html]
	Mars Global Surveyor	[http://www.msss.com/mars_images/]
Photos processed by Malin Space Systems
	NASA Photojournal	[http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/PIAGenPlanetPage.pl?Mars]
This is NASA's master database of planetary images (including all planets). A search engine aids finding what you are interested in.
	JPL's Mars Exploration Page	[http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/]
	Viking Orbiter Archives	[http://ic-www.arc.nasa.gov/ic/projects/bayes-group/Atlas/Mars/]
Includes online Mars atlas.
Miscellaneous Mars links
	Mars Watch Project	[http://www.mars-watch.com/photos.html]
	Mars Watch (Cornell)	[http://marswatch.tn.cornell.edu/mars.html]
	ALPO Mars Section Page	[http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~rhill/alpo/mars.html]
	The Planet Mars: A History of Observation and Discovery	[http://www.uapress.arizona.edu/onlinebks/mars/contents.htm]
A book by William Sheehan

Many thanks to Matt Ota for contributing numerous Mars links

Virtual Astronomy Online

Space Update Online

Published Members

Hand-held PC's in Astronomy

Mars 2001