Asteroids

JPL Small-Body Database Browser – NASA/JPL’s authoritative lookup for every known asteroid or comet, giving orbital elements, physical parameters, ephemerides, and 3-D orbit visualisations. 

Minor Planet Center – Database Search – The IAU clearing-house for asteroid and comet observations; provides discovery details, updated orbits, and ephemeris tables on demand. 

NASA “Eyes on Asteroids” – Interactive 3-D web app that lets you track thousands of asteroids and comets in real time, replay past fly-bys, and preview future close approaches. 

NASA CNEOS / Asteroid Watch – Center for Near-Earth Object Studies portal with daily close-approach tables, impact-risk lists, and news on planetary-defense research. 

NEODyS-2 – European Near-Earth Object Dynamic Site offering continuously updated orbits, impact-risk pages, and custom ephemerides for every NEA. 

In-The-Sky.org — Asteroids – Automatically generated list of the brightest asteroids currently visible, with finder charts tailored to any location. 

Heavens-Above — Asteroids – Under “Astronomy → Asteroids” you can create personalised ephemerides and sky charts for major asteroids alongside the site’s satellite tools. 

Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB) – NASA-PDS repository of 34 000+ published rotation light-curves and derived spin/shape data for asteroid research and amateur photometry projects. 

Astronomical League – Asteroid Observing Program – Step-by-step visual/CCD observing award that teaches amateurs how to identify, track, and record asteroid positions and light-curves. 

NEO Earth Close Approaches – Daily-updated list of upcoming near-Earth asteroid fly-bys with size estimates, miss distances, and quick-link orbit visualisers. 

Atlases & Star Charts

Free Digital Star Atlases (Printable / Interactive)

TriAtlas Project (A, B & C Sets) – 300-page PDF atlas series (to mag 12.6) offering wide-field, intermediate, and ultra-detailed charts—excellent all-sky companion for deep-sky observers. 

Deep-Sky Hunter Star Atlas – 110 printable A3 charts down to mag 10.2 (stars) and mag 14 (DSOs) plus 21 zoom maps of galaxy clusters; ideal for serious visual sweeps. 

Taki’s 8.5-Magnitude Star Atlas (PDF) – 146 A4 charts plotting stars to mag 8.5 and 2,900+ DSOs—lightweight but deeper than most commercial pocket atlases. 

Mag-7 Star Atlas – Free, printer-friendly charts to mag 7.25 with 550 deep-sky objects—great grab-and-go atlas for binocular or small-scope sessions. 

Pretty Deep Maps – Hyper-linked PDF atlas covering the entire sky to about mag 18, with 6,700+ charts and 100k-object index for image-identification and planning. 

Skymaps.com – Monthly Evening Sky Map – Free PDF star chart issued each month for northern, equatorial, and southern latitudes, annotated with current planet/comet positions and observing highlights. 

Comets

NASA Science – Comets – Plain-language primer on what comets are, where they come from, and why they sprout glowing comae and tails, with links to current research and missions. 

JPL Small-Body Database Browser – The authoritative NASA tool for up-to-date orbital elements, physical parameters, ephemerides, and 3-D orbit diagrams of every numbered or provisional comet. 

Minor Planet Center – Comet Database Search – IAU clearing-house where discovery details, designation history, and continuously updated orbits for all known comets are published. 

Comet Observation Database (COBS) – Global hub for amateur + professional observers to upload magnitude estimates and light curves; includes searchable reports and automatically generated graphs. 

Weekly Information about Bright Comets – Seiichi Yoshida – Long-running weekly digest forecasting brightness trends, visibility maps, and discovery news for comets down to mag 14. 

TheSkyLive – Comets – Real-time table of the brightest observable comets, updated several times per day and linked to interactive finder charts for any location. 

In-The-Sky.org – Current Comets – Continuously updated listing of upcoming perihelia, perigees, and peak-brightness dates, each with custom altitude/time plots. 

Sky & Telescope – Comet Observing – Magazine portal offering observing guides, monthly highlights, and expert tips on tracking or photographing the latest comets. 

Comet Chasing – Skyhound – Up-to-date finder charts, visibility forecasts, and observing advice aimed squarely at backyard comet hunters. 

AstroBackyard – “How I Photographed the Green Comet” – Practical, step-by-step imaging tutorial (gear, settings, processing) that doubles as a general guide to photographing any bright comet. 

ESA Rosetta Image Archive – Full, high-resolution dataset from Rosetta’s rendez­vous with Comet 67P, ideal for studying comet geology and activity. 

Cometography (Gary Kronk) – Extensive historical catalogue weaving together centuries of observations and stories of every significant periodic or great comet. 

Dark Skies

International Dark-Sky Association – Non-profit hub for light-pollution science, dark-sky parks, and advocacy resources.

LightPollutionMap.info – Interactive world map of artificial sky brightness with Bortle-scale overlays.

Meteors, Meteorites

https://brite.co/education/space-rocks-the-mineral-composition-of-meteorites/ - A high level overview of “Space Rocks” (suggested by Kim and Joyce)

• https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/meteors-meteorites/ — NASA’s comprehensive hub that distinguishes meteoroids, meteors and meteorites, explains how meteor showers form, and notes that ~48 tons of material hit Earth each day, with links to watching guides and fireball networks. 

• https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/meteor-shower/ — Plain-language (kid-friendly) article that walks you through why showers happen, lists the year’s major showers, and gives practical tips for a backyard “shooting-star party.” 

• https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/asteroid-or-meteor/en/ — Side-by-side comparison of asteroids, meteoroids, meteors and meteorites; good refresher before diving into shower calendars or fall records. 

• https://www.amsmeteors.org/meteor-showers/meteor-shower-calendar/ — American Meteor Society’s interactive 2025-26 calendar showing each shower’s activity window, peak nights, Moon phase, radiant, velocity and parent body—ideal for planning observations. 

• https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/space-astronomy/meteor-shower-guide-2025 — Royal Observatory Greenwich table of all major 2025 showers with expected hourly rates, date ranges and concise viewing advice, plus a quick primer on what meteors are. 

• https://mcdonaldobservatory.org/meteor-showers — U.S.–focused 2025 schedule from McDonald Observatory, paired with an FAQ that explains what makes a “shooting star,” why constellations give showers their names, and how to choose dark-sky sites. 

• https://www.space.com/meteor-showers-shooting-stars.html — Space.com feature covering the physics of meteor showers, observing tips, annual shower highlights and historical events such as the 1833 Leonid storm, with stats on speeds, temperatures and daily infall mass. 

• https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/permanent/meteorites/meteorites/historic-meteorites — American Museum of Natural History’s virtual exhibit of celebrated falls and finds (e.g., Ensisheim 1492, Wold Cottage 1795, L’Aigle 1803), supplying context, specimen photos and curatorial notes. 

• https://www.lpi.usra.edu/meteor/ — The Meteoritical Bulletin Database: a searchable catalog with 77 k+ approved meteorite names, classifications, find locations and links to full write-ups—indispensable for digging into specific meteorites.

Moon

Maps

https://cseligman.com/text/moons/moonmap.htm

https://astrogeology.usgs.gov/search/map/Moon/Geology/Unified_Geologic_Map_of_the_Moon_GIS_v2

https://moon.nasa.gov/observe-the-moon-night/resources/moon-map/

Phases

https://www.timeanddate.com/moon/phases/ - Simple Lunar Phase calendar

https://stardate.org/nightsky/moon - Lunar phase calendar and calculator

http://www.astropixels.com/ephemeris/phasescat/phasescat.html  Six Millennia of phases!

General Info

NASA Moon – The one-stop portal for everything lunar: observing guides, Artemis mission updates, science news, images, and downloadable resources. 

Virtual Moon Atlas – Free desktop atlas with high-resolution maps, feature search, customizable lighting, and export tools for planning detailed lunar observing sessions. 

Lunar Photo of the Day (LPOD) – Daily annotated image curated by planetary scientist Chuck Wood, blending stunning photography with bite-size lunar science lessons. 

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) – Mission site with the QuickMap browser, global mosaics, and articles revealing the Moon’s geology in unprecedented detail. 

Lunar and Planetary Institute – Moon Resources – Extensive repository of lunar science papers, maps, mission catalogs, and classroom activities. 

USGS Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature – Moon – Official database of named lunar features with coordinates, diameters, and naming origins—indispensable for selenographers. 

NASA Artemis Program – Overview of the missions, technology, and timelines driving humanity’s return to the lunar surface this decade. 

ISRO Chandrayaan Missions – India’s Chandrayaan-1, 2 & 3 mission pages detailing instruments, discoveries (like polar water ice), and future plans. 

Smithsonian Air & Space – Destination Moon – Virtual exhibit showcasing Apollo artifacts, spacecraft, and personal stories from the race to the Moon. 

Google Arts & Culture – Moon Landing Project – Interactive timelines, 3-D models, and archival photos celebrating Apollo 11 and other milestone missions. 

JAXA Kaguya (SELENE) – Japan’s lunar orbiter site with HD video flyovers, gravity data, and science results on the Moon’s origin and evolution.  

Planets

General

https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/planets/ Nice overview on planets and planet exploration

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Planets Wikipedia Entry

https://theplanets.org/ Great site that covers the planets in our solar system!

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/series/planets/ Nova series on the planets!

Planets - In Our Solar System

Mercury

NASA Mercury Overview – Quick facts, interior/surface science, interactive graphics, and latest news. 

MESSENGER Mission – NASA – Full archive of the 2011-2015 orbiter that mapped 100 % of Mercury and revealed its inner core, magnetic field, and ice-filled polar craters. 

Mariner 10 Mission – Historic 1974-75 flyby that returned the first close-up images of Mercury and discovered its huge iron core. 

USGS Mercury Global Mosaic – Downloadable, map-projected basemap at 166 m/px for detailed crater and albedo studies. 

Mercury Fact Sheet – NSSDCA – One-page table of physical and orbital parameters for quick reference. 

Venus

NASA Venus Overview – Essential facts, climate, interior structure, and image galleries. 

Magellan Mission – Radar-mapped 98 % of Venus; mission summary, science results, and global SAR mosaics. 

Pioneer Venus Project – Orbiter & probe data on Venus’s atmosphere and surface from the late 1970s/80s. 

USGS Venus Cartography – High-resolution radar maps, geologic charts, and downloadable GIS layers. 

Venus Fact Sheet – NSSDCA – Key planetary parameters in one place. 

Earth

NASA “In-Depth: Earth” – Overview of Earth science, formation history, and exploration (linked to satellite missions). 

Earth Fact Sheet – NSSDCA – Definitive table of bulk, orbital, and atmospheric data. 

The Blue Marble – NASA Visible Earth – Downloadable, cloud-free global map ideal for Earth-Moon or Earth-planet size comparisons. 

Planetary Fact Sheet Index – Jump-off page to compare every planet’s numbers against Earth. 

Mars

NASA Mars Exploration Program – Mission timeline, science goals, rover/drone status, and multimedia. 

Mars Quick Facts (PDF) – Printable one-sheet of essential stats, gravity, and day-length comparisons. 

USGS MOLA Topographic Map of Mars – Global elevation map from Mars Global Surveyor laser altimetry; perfect for planning imaging targets. 

Mars Fact Sheet – NSSDCA – Authoritative data table for mass, radius, orbital elements, and atmosphere. 

NASA Mars Portal – Gateway to mission news, raw rover images, and multimedia about the Red Planet. 

https://discover.join1440.com/topics/mars - 1440’s excellent overview of the planet Mars, along with a rich collection of articles and videos on topics related to Mars. Very well done.

Jupiter

NASA Jupiter Overview – Fast facts, internal structure, atmosphere, moons, and resource links. 

Juno Mission – Current polar-orbiting probe mapping Jupiter’s gravity, magnetic field, and auroras. 

Galileo Mission – 1995-2003 orbiter that delivered the first probe into Jupiter’s atmosphere and discovered subsurface oceans on moons. 

USGS Astrogeology WMS Layers – Jupiter System – Browse/download basemaps and nomenclature layers for Jupiter and its satellites. 

Jupiter Fact Sheet – NSSDCA – Detailed physical and orbital numbers. 

Saturn

NASA Saturn Overview – Key facts, ring science, moons, and interactive resources. 

Cassini-Huygens Mission – 2004-17 flagship orbiter (plus Titan lander) that revolutionized our view of Saturn and its moons. 

Voyager Flybys of Saturn – Classic 1980/81 encounters that revealed the ring spokes, shepherd moons, and Titan’s haze. 

USGS Saturn & Satellites Foundational Data – Links to global mosaics and DEMs for rings and major moons (Titan, Enceladus, Tethys, etc.). 

Saturn Fact Sheet – NSSDCA – Comprehensive table of physical/atmospheric parameters. 

Uranus

NASA Uranus Overview – Snapshot of the ice giant’s tilt, rings, atmosphere, and moons. 

Voyager 2 Uranus Encounter – Mission images, discoveries, and legacy science. 

USGS Uranus Gazetteer & Maps – Official feature names and downloadable cartographic products for Uranus’s moons. 

Uranus Fact Sheet – NSSDCA – Physical, orbital, and atmospheric data at a glance. 

Neptune

NASA Neptune “10 Things” – Fast facts, composition, storms, and rings of the outermost planet. 

Voyager 2 Neptune Flyby – Image gallery and science summary from the only close encounter (1989). 

USGS Neptunian System Gazetteer – Official nomenclature and links to Triton/Proteus map layers. 

Neptune Fact Sheet – NSSDCA – Up-to-date mass, radius, density, and orbital elements. 

Pluto (I know it’s no longer considered a planet. Call me a rebel!)

NASA Pluto Overview – Key facts, size comparisons, orbit data, and quick-read science highlights for the solar system’s famous dwarf planet. 

New Horizons Mission – Mission hub for the 2015 fly-by that revealed Pluto’s mountains of water-ice, flowing nitrogen glaciers, and blue atmospheric haze. Includes image galleries, data sets, and Kuiper-Belt extended-mission updates. 

USGS Pluto Global Mosaic (300 m/px) – High-resolution, map-projected basemap built from New Horizons LORRI/MVIC images—ideal for studying terrain or planning observation projects. 

Pluto Fact Sheet – NSSDCA – Concise table of physical, orbital, and atmospheric parameters (mass, radius, surface gravity, temperature, pressure, composition). Perfect for quick reference or comparisons. 

HubbleSite Pluto Image Archive – Historic and recent Hubble observations of Pluto and Charon, showing the dwarf planet’s surface variations and seasonal changes pre-New Horizons. 

Pluto Exploration Timeline – NASA – Interactive timeline tracking every Pluto mission from early concepts to New Horizons and future Kuiper Belt objectives, plus links to mission science papers.  

Exoplanets & Planet-Finding

NASA Exoplanet Exploration – Gateway to NASA’s exoplanet program with mission summaries, discovery dashboards, and interactive “What Is an Exoplanet?” explainers. 

NASA Exoplanet Archive – The master database of all confirmed and candidate exoplanets, offering light-curve downloads, transit plots, and handy comparison tables. 

Extrasolar Planets Encyclopaedia (exoplanet.eu) – Long-running, researcher-maintained catalogue that updates daily with new detections and includes tools for plotting planetary system parameters. 

PHL Habitable Worlds Catalog – Curated list (formerly Habitable Exoplanets Catalog) ranking worlds by habitability metrics, maintained by the Planetary Habitability Laboratory. 

Planet Hunters TESS (Zooniverse) – Citizen-science project that lets volunteers sift TESS light curves to spot new exoplanet transits missed by automated algorithms. 

TESS Mission – Official site for NASA’s all-sky Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, with data releases, discovery stats, and observing sector maps. 

CHEOPS Mission – ESA – Europe’s CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite page detailing its high-precision follow-up of known planets to refine their sizes and densities. 

Open Exoplanet Catalogue – Community-driven, open-source database of every published exoplanet, available in human-readable JSON/XML for custom apps or research. 

Eyes on Exoplanets (NASA/JPL) – 3-D web tool that lets you “fly” to thousands of confirmed planets, view orbits, and compare planetary sizes interactively. 

NASA Exoplanet Citizen Science Hub – Round-up of NASA-affiliated projects (Planet Hunters, Exoplanet Watch, Disk Detective) where amateurs can help discover and characterize new worlds. 

Exoplanet Watch (NASA) – Program that supplies data—or guides you in collecting your own—to measure exoplanet transits and contribute light curves to a NASA database. 

Planning

https://telescopius.com/ - Convenient online resource for planning and target selection

https://www.astrobin.com/ Preeminent Worldwide Astrophography site - great tools for exploring objects by constellation - very useful for planning purposes.

Astroplanner - AstroPlanner is a software application for Macintosh and Windows computers that facilitates astronomical observation planning, visualisation and logging, as well as control of telescopes with computerised go-to mounts or digital setting circle controllers AstroPlanner is shareware and you are welcome to download and try a fully-functional version at no cost. (Thanks to Dave Kreiton for the addition!)

SpaceWeather - News and information about the Earth-Sun environment. Great info and site. Thanks to Dave Kreiton for suggesting this!

Clear Dark Sky Charts – Hour-by-hour forecasts of cloud cover, transparency, and seeing for 6,000+ North American observing sites, plus Moon-phase illumination. 

Satellites

Ooma – Communications Satellites & Space Exploration – Intro article explaining satellite types and orbits (good for beginners). (Thanks to Tyler and Kelly for suggesting!)

Heavens-Above – Real-time pass predictions and 3-D visualisation for ISS, Starlink, and thousands of satellites. 

Live ISS Tracking - NASA sight shows the position of he International Spae Station (ISS) at any given moment. Suggested by RIck Albrecht

For launches, missions, and agency indices → Space Exploration & Missions on the Astronomy Fundamentals Page

Star Charts Online

Stellarium Web – Browser-based planetarium with real-time sky simulation.

TheSkyLive – Planetarium – Interactive chart with planetary positions, comet tracks, and deep-sky database.

Google Sky – Google Maps interface overlaying multi-wavelength all-sky imagery.

The Sun

NASA Science – Our Sun: Facts – Concise NASA primer covering the Sun’s age, size, structure, fusion engine, and role in the solar system. 

Sun – Wikipedia – Comprehensive article on the Sun’s physical properties, internal layers, magnetic activity, solar cycle, and the long history of solar research. 

NASA “Spots, Waves & Wind: A Solar Science Timeline” – Illustrated timeline tracing major milestones in humanity’s study of the Sun, from ancient eclipse records to modern spacecraft. 

SpaceWeather.com – Daily updates on sunspots, flares, CMEs, aurora forecasts, and real-time solar wind data for observers and radio/aurora watchers. 

NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) – Official U.S. hub for real-time space-weather measurements, solar storm alerts, and geomagnetic forecasts. 

Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) – Mission site streaming ultra-high-resolution images of the Sun in multiple wavelengths, showcasing flares, prominences, and sunspot evolution. 

Helioviewer – Interactive web tool to browse, zoom, and create movies from archival and near-real-time solar images (SDO, SOHO, Solar Orbiter, etc.). 

Astronomical League – How to Safely Observe the Sun – Step-by-step guide to solar filters, projection methods, and gear for safe visual or photographic solar observing. 

NASA Eclipse Viewing Safety – NASA’s authoritative instructions for eye-safe viewing of partial, annular, and total solar eclipses (glasses, filters, pin-hole viewers). 

Sun 101 – National Geographic (YouTube) – Three-minute video explainer on how the Sun works, why it’s vital to life on Earth, and what happens during extreme solar activity. 

Supernova

Rochester Astronomy – Bright Supernovae – Daily-updated list of current supernova discoveries with finder charts. Unique resource on the latest Supernova reports

IAU Transient Name Server (TNS) – Official, up-to-the-minute database of newly discovered supernovae and other transients. 

Time & Ephemeris Tools

JPL Horizons Online Ephemeris – Generates high-precision positions and velocities for Solar-System bodies (planets, moons, asteroids, comets, spacecraft) for any date, location, or coordinate system. 

USNO Julian Date Converter – Quickly convert calendar dates/times to Julian Dates (and back) with the U.S. Naval Observatory’s official calculator. 

In-The-Sky.org Rise/Set & Finder Charts – Creates customised rise-and-set tables and printable finder charts for planets, comets, asteroids, or deep-sky objects for any observing site. 

Heavens-Above Interactive Sky Chart – Real-time star chart (plus satellite/ISS passes and Iridium flares) centred on your location and time, ideal for planning sessions. 

Timeanddate Astronomy Calculator – Computes sunrise/sunset, moonrise/moonset, twilight times, solar noon, and object altitudes for thousands of cities worldwide. 

Minor Planet Center Ephemeris Service – On-demand ephemerides and orbital elements for asteroids, comets, and irregular planetary satellites direct from the IAU’s MPC. 

IOTA Occultation Predictions – Up-to-date predictions of lunar, asteroid, and planetary occultations with downloadable path maps and timing tables. 

Stellarium Web Online Star Map – Browser-based planetarium that shows the sky from any location and date, with real-time alt-az coordinates, transits, and ephemerides. 

Weather

https://www.astrospheric.com/ - Astropherics - The best weather site for astronomy and astrophotography. Free level and premium level. The Premiu level is worth it in my mind. CLoud predicitons way out - short term and details smoke plume predicitons.

https://clearoutside.com/  Clear Outside - is associated with the Astronomy.tools website.

https://www.cleardarksky.com/csk/ - Clear Dark Sky -This is a very popular clear night predictive map for the next week.

http://weather.rap.ucar.edu/satellite/ - Weather satellite images of your regions. See where the clouds are!

https://www.weather.gov/idp/ridge2landing - This cool site will show you Live radar maps for your area!

https://weather.ndc.nasa.gov/GOES/ - One of the best sites for getting satiliite views of a larger region and your local region (Provided to me by Gary Opitz - thanks Gary!)

SpaceWeather - News and information about the Earth-Sun environment. Great info and site. Thanks to Dave Kreiton for suggesting this!