Internet Resources for Astronomers#
In recent years the natural sciences, and in particular astronomy and astrophysics, are increasingly open access. This means that most astronomical research is freely available not only to professional researchers and those affiliated with academic institutions but to the public in general. This includes pre-print and published research as well as most observational data and the software used to process them.
This unprecedented store of data and information makes discovering new objects and planning observations easier than ever before. There is no longer any need for the amateur astronomer to build databases and spreadsheets for observing lists, that has been done for you.
The enormous volume of information available can be somewhat overwhelming though. This guide is a general overview of what is available and how you can access it.
This is a work in progress. See the Contributing page for information on how to make contributions, suggestions, or corrections.
Catalogs and Databases
Solar System Information
General Astronomy Resources
End Matter