South Cheshire Astronomical Society

South Cheshire Astronomical Society

We also have a number of "sister" websites that contain information / discussions about some of our activities:

Yahoo Forum - get involved / chat / discuss / swap tips ...

MySpace - videos & pictures

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General Information

Local Astro Viewing Conditions courtesy of '7 Timer'.
See what local viewing conditions are like tonight and the next two nights. The location has been pre-set to the Crewe & Nantwich area in SE Cheshire but you can set your own location if it differs significantly from this.

BBC Science Space portal - A treasure trove of space/astronomy information and links. See in particular:

• Stargazing LIVE star guide
  Download your free guide to the stars and get the most out of the night sky.
  
• The Sky at Night
  Everything from when the next programme is to Guide Packs.
  For practical incentive to find your way round the sky at night follow the link:
  The Moore Winter Marathon

  Sir Patrick challenges you to see 50 of his winter night sky objects. There are two lists: naked eye and binocular and telescopic; forms in 'related links'. You can also download: an observing guide to help you find the objects, and an observing form for you to record them, and there are similar links for telesope observation.
  
  

Windows to The Universe. An interesting website that will tell you anything you would like to know about everything, at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels.
(Link provided by SCASTRO committee member Roger Brookes)

For a daily updated gallery of beautiful space photographs visit Wired Science Space Photo of the Day.
(Link provided by SCASTRO committee member Roger Brookes)

Heavens Above - The one stop shop for details of when and where to spot the International Space Station, Iridium Flares, as well as a host of other astronomical sights. Informative & addictive!

SpaceFlightNow - The leading source for online space news.

International Meteor Organisation - Everything you've ever wanted to know (and more) about meteor showers.

Dark Skies - Our ability to enjoy the wonders of the night skies diminishes with each passing year due to the menace of Light Pollution. This site provides background as to what is be done to reduce this unnecessary waste.

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For Beginners - courtesy of the BBC:

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Commercial & Software

An Interesting Commercial Astronomical Instrumentation site with free information: Skopes'N'Skies Video Help Centre.
They also extend on to You Tube.
Of particular interest for SCASTRO, this video on Collimating a Dobsonian Reflecting Telescope.
Beginners may find the following useful: Stargazing - getting started in astronomy

UK Astronomy Buy & Sell - UK's Trading Place for New & Used Telescopes and Accessories.

Stellarium - Probably the best free planetarium software currently available. Feature packed with gorgeous graphics, this Open Source program undergoes continuous development.

Virtual Moon Atlas - An awesome piece of free software that is virtually indispensable when you're observing the moon.

Registax - Free software that allows you to align and stack astronomical images to improve resolution

NEAT Image - Free software for removing noise from digital images

SkyMaps - Free starcharts, updated each month.

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Astronomy Pictures & Video

You Tube - Views of the Universe to Music
(Link provided by SCASTRO committee member Roger Brookes)

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