Just a collection of tools for planning an observing session under the stars. I really put this together for my own personal use, but as anyone might be able to use it I have added a few item and capabilities in order to share...
Observing Tools
A few of my personal tools for observing planning...
- Observing List Generator generate custom observing lists from the SiOwl database
- SiOwl Database Query a database of my own observations and photos
Local Information
Observing in Hawai'i...
- Mauna Kea Weather Center a weather forecast just for observing on Mauna Kea, very good
- MKWC Satellite Page
- UofH Meteorology Satellite Page
- UofH Meteorology Radar Page
- NWS Forecast, Kona NWS forecast, usually a little off (sometimes a lot off)
- NWS Forecast, Waikoloa NWS forecast
- NWS Forecast, Waimea (Kameula) NWS forecast
Other Observing Tools
Some great resources from across the web...
- Barnard's Atlas an online version of E.E. Barnard's 'A Photographic Atlas of Selected Regions of the Milky Way'
- DSS the STScI Digitized Sky Survey
- Espenak's NASA Eclipse Page the source for lunar and solar eclipse information
- HEASARC Coordinate Converter find coordiantes on any object in any epoch
- Heavens Above what is going overhead at any given moment
- Horizons a NASA high accuracy ephemeris generator
- Messier 45 a very complete deep sky database
- NGC/IC Project Home Page the correct NGC/IC catalog
- MPC Comet Ephemerides orbital element data and ephemerides
- Seiichi Yoshida's Weekly Comets great info on all observable comets
- SIMBAD a database with all the professional catalogs
- Taki's 8.5 Magnitude Star Atlas a free, printable star atlas
- USNO Data Services the best source for dates and times
Observing Lists
What do you look at? Where do you find them? Many amateur astronomers answer these questions by following in the footsteps of the great observers of ceturies past. There are also some great modern lists put together by experienced amateurs in order to lead novices to some great sights. In the process you improve your skills and learn the history of how we learned the mysteries of the universe.
Image from Solar System Live
Image from Solar System Live