Shower, Storm and Leonids Links
If you want to become an expert in meteor showers and storms, here are a couple of our links to get you started. The topic of meteor showers is very prolific. You will undoubtedly find a plethora of intriguing details on our pages dedicated to meteor storms and meteor showers.
On both pages, you will find explanations of Leonid meteor storms. However, if you explore our site more, you will notice that Leonid showers appear on several other pages due to their importance throughout history.
Meteor showers attract both amateurs and professionals. Several organizations and institutes have dedicated time and energy to extensive observation programs. You can find more details on the European Space Agency page where Leonids are in focus.
The American Meteor Society regularly updates its meteor shower calendar, so have a look here. NASA also posts interesting findings of meteor showers in its project for observing Leonids. If the information that you are looking for is not easy to find, you can always browse the Astrophysics Data System. It houses a large collection of historical recordings, findings, and reports on Leonids and meteor showers.
General Meteor Related Links
The amazing showers and storms are collections of fascinating meteors. Research into meteors over the years proved to be more than fruitful. If you want to explore the subject more, a great place to start is our page containing meteor facts. After you get familiar with the basics of meteors, it’s time to explore other types.
We tried to explain various forms of anomalies in meteors, including audible meteors and curved paths.
As for other sources, The American Meteor Society (AMS) is again a great source of info for meteors. The Meteor FAQ page is abundant, so it is a perfect stop for all curious explorers. You will also like the Space.com page for meteors. It is full of explanations and fresh news about the stellar phenomena. On the other hand, NASA has a section for Solar System exploration too. It is a perfect location for researching meteors as it offers both a quick overview and an in-depth analysis of meteors.
Another vital part of meteor research is investigating impacts. You can learn more about the impacts on Earth by visiting our page for the biggest Earth impacts. Lunar impacts are gaining popularity nowadays, and you can see why by browsing our Lunar impacts page.
Meteor Observing Links
Researching meteors is fun, but studying observations is even more interesting. If you want to explore different meteor observation techniques over the centuries, have a look at our history of meteor observations.
Observation of celestial objects can be amusing, but it is a tough job. There are several types of observing, including visual and telescopic.
Numerous organizations work closely with amateurs on meteor observations. You can visit and join observation programs at the UK Meteor Network (UKMON). If you are residing in the USA, the American Meteor Society is an excellent source of information for observations. The Dutch Meteor Society is open to all visitors always. For those interested in the findings in Europe, the Slovenian Astronomical Society Orion and the Polish Astronomical Society provide excellent insights. IMO (International Meteor Organization) is responsible for extensive meteor programs around the globe.
If you want to keep up with the latest news, you can visit the blog Watch the Skies that NASA created. While you are there, stop by the Sky & Telescope magazine and see their Meteor Observing section. It is excellent for both beginners and advanced observers. The Society for Popular Astronomy has an excellent guide for observing meteors that you simply must-see.
Meteorites
Meteorites are, as we know, extraterrestrial objects that have landed on the surface of the Earth. These little pieces of rock are very important for uncovering the origin and nature of objects up in space. That is why numerous studies and projects exist for meteorites. The best place to begin your meteorite adventure is the Meteorite Exchange. There you can learn about meteorites, their origins, and their chemical composition. The Meteorite Market is just what its name suggests – a place where you can learn about meteorites and purchase them.
On a global scale, the Meteoritical Society works hard on collecting precious data about meteorites. The society supports young researchers, funds projects, and publishes journals. One journal that might be of interest to you is Meteoritics and Planetary Science that was launched in 1953.
As we said, meteorites are especially important for their chemical composition. Geoffrey Notkin’s Meteorwritings on Geology.com are a collection of articles that deal with meteoritics. The collection begins with a study of the composition of meteorites.
Research into meteorites is mostly conducted on universities. For example, UCLA has one of the largest meteorite collections in the world. The Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia, has excellent programs for exploring astronomy, astrophysics, and meteoritics.
Other Astronomy Links
MeteorObs is a page dedicated to meteors mostly. We do explore important concepts, terms, and phenomena related to meteors, but our focus is mostly on meteoritics. In case you want to explore terms that we only mentioned in our articles, feel free to look through our glossary of astronomical terms here. Additional info can be found on our FAQ page too.
If you are looking for groups to join, you can always join the Meteor Showers group on Yahoo. It is a public group, but it is low volume, and so you won’t have a lot of content often there. The group posts only a couple of times per year, mostly when there is an active shower that might be prolific.
SpaceWeather.com is an amazing site that provides information about the weather on the Moon and here. Everything that happens in space, – SpaceWeather knows. If you wish to know too, just read through their announcements. What’s great about this site is that it keeps posts fresh and updated. It’s informative and fresh, which makes it perfect for amateur astronomers and enthusiastic explorers.
NASA Science Mission Directorate is a wonderful place where you can discover a wealth of information on astronomy. Often, you’ll catch an article or two about meteor showers, but that is just a small fragment of what this Directorate does.
The Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian, thanks to NASA funding, hosts a project named Minor Planet Centre. It is a great place for you if you want to see news and updates about minor planets that scientists are currently investigating.
Helpful Sites
The Planet Centre is part of the International Astronomical Union. In 2008, the IAU launched a project that was to be a stimulant for astronomy research on all academic levels. It started with a plan named “Astronomy for the Developing World”, and it included the opening of the OAD office (the Office of Astronomy for Development). The site of the Office offers you an amazing collection of data from various projects. It is worth checking out.
If you want to explore Deep Sky observations, there is an informative NetAstroCatalog mailing list. The catalog hosts nebulae, multiple stars, star clusters, and galaxies trivia that you will surely like. The site focuses on observations of interesting deep space phenomena.
If you want to observe something else rather than meteors, you can visit Visual Satellite Observer’s site. The website handles observation, identification, and discussion of artificial Earth satellites. If, however, you want to explore the subject of radio astronomy, we suggest you visit the Society of Amateur Radio Astronomy. SARA has many on-going projects, seminars, and conferences. An alternative to SARA is the Amateur Radio Astronomers group, which you can access here.
Cambridge Conference Network is a mailing list for all those who wish to inform on near-Earth objects (NEOs), potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs), and historical Earth impacts.
For solar and lunar halos, rainbows, arcs, and similar questions, you can turn to Meteoptic, a meteorological optics mailing list. Also, useful information about all types of halos is on Atmospheric Optics. Les Cowley, one of the most prominent halo scientists and authors, supplies all the info.
Space in Entertainment
Space exploration is a fun topic, so many branches of entertainment have covered the subject many times. But if you decide for a break from scientific reading, you can relax by watching movies and TV shows. Insider published an excellent article that features the most realistic movies about space exploration. Plus, a real astrophysicist rated it. You can have a look at their list right here. If you run out of ideas – this list has only 11 movies – you might stop by IMDB for more ideas. The site is a great place to search both for movies and interesting shows.
Furthermore, the aforementioned site Space.com also has a list of top movies that feature Earth-threatening asteroids. Meteor enthusiasts will have a field day with this list!
Those who enjoy gaming can find a string of games that are inspired by meteors and asteroids as well. Games Radar has a delectable compilation of out-of-this-world games that fit perfectly any gaming device. Moreover, if casino games are more up your lane, here is an excellent article from the people over at Best Casinos about casino games with the space theme. Yes, casino games themed around space and sci-fi exist!
Finally, if you have kids and wish to find an exciting way to bring space exploration closer to them, here is a fun idea. The Lunar and Planetary Institute has devised a Space Rocks board game that you can download here.