Getting Your Kids Started in Astronomy

Getting Your Kids Started in Astronomy

This class is meant to be an introduction for parents wanting to introduce their children to amateur astronomy. The class covers the basics including:

• What Equipment is Needed to Get Started
• Basic Astronomical Concepts
• How to Plan An Observing Session
• Basics of Telescopes and How to Buy One

Links Discussed in the Class

Raleigh Astronomy Club – http://www.raleighastro.org

Good Telescope Manufactures:

• Orion Telescopes – http://www.telescope.com/
• Meade – http://www.meade.com/
• Celestron – http://www.celestron.com/
• Explore Scientific – http://explorescientificusa.com/
• iOptron – http://ioptron.com/
• Televue – http://televue.com/
• Vixen – http://vixenoptics.com/

Good Telescope Retailers:

• Southeastern Camera (Local to Raleigh) – http://www.southeasterncamera.com/
• Astronomics – http://www.astronomics.com/
• Oceanside Photo and Telescope – http://www.optcorp.com/
• B&H Photo and Video – http://www.bhphotovideo.com/
• Woodland Hills Camera & Telescope – http://telescopes.net/

Software and Apps:

• Stellarium Planetarium software – www.stellarium.org (free)
• Cartes du Ciel Star Chart Software – http://www.celestron.com/ (free)
• Mobile Observatory (Android) – http://zima.co
• Star Walk – http://vitotechnology.com/star-walk.html
• Sky Safari – http://www.southernstars.com/products/skysafari/

Other Equipment and Articles

• Buying a telescope – link to article
• Choosing a telescope – link to article
• Giving a telescope as a gift – link to article
• David Levy Planisphere – link on Amazon
• Good Green Laser Pointer – http://www.genaldi.com/greenlaserpointer.html

Books & Atlases:

• Turn Left at Orion – link on Amazon
• NightWatch – link on Amazon
• Backyard Astronomer’s Guide – link on Amazon
• S&T Pocket Sky Atlas – link on Amazon
• Objects in the Heavens – link to author’s page

Online Tools

• Tonight’s Sky – http://tonightssky.com/
• Sky & Telescope’s This Week’s Sky at a Glance – http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/ataglance
• Clear Sky Clocks for North Carolina – http://cleardarksky.com/csk/prov/North_Carolina_charts.html
• Finding the Hubble Space Telescope or the ISS: http://heavens-above.com/

Online Forums and Classifieds:

• CloudyNights – http://www.cloudynights.com/ (free to join)
• Astromart – http://www.astromart.com/ (free to browse but yearly subscription fee)

Maintenance & Tips

• Polar Alignment (for equatorial mounts): http://www.arksky.org/Kochab.htm
• Cleaning of optics: http://www.arksky.org/asoclean.htm
• Aligning Your Finder Scope (video): http://youtu.be/ztlSv2JOMr0

Specific Kid Sites:

• NASA’s Space Place – http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/
• “NASA For Students” – http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/index.html
• Solar System Scale Model Activity – http://www.exploratorium.edu/ronh/solar_system/
• Lego Orrery (Kepler Mission Planet Transit Demo) – http://kepler.nasa.gov/files/mws/LEGOorrery2011.pdf