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ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI

Books

  • Gaustad, John & Zeilik, Michael, Astronomy: The Cosmic Perspective- second edition, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1990. This text was designed for an introductory astronomy course for upper high school or undergraduate students who want a comprehensive view and understanding of modern astronomy, including active galaxies (see chapter26).
  • Giacconi, R. & Tucker, W., The X-ray Universe, Harvard University Press, 1985. Considered to be another 'classic' X-ray astronomy text book. Includes discussion of active galaxies (see Chapter 13) at a level intended for the undergraduate science major, or above.
  • Kaufmann, William J. III, Universe, Freeman and Company, 1994. This book comes highly recommended from both students and scientists. It explains many concepts in astronomy from cosmology to high-energy astrophysics, including information on active galaxies (see Chapter 27). Intended for the upper high school student with a strong science background and interest, or the undergraduate science major taking a basic astronomy course.
  • Mitton, Jacqueline & Simon, The Young Oxford Book of Astronomy, Oxford University Press, Inc., 1995. This book explains many concepts in astronomy from the Solar System, galaxies and the Universe, including active galaxies. Intended for the middle or high school student.
  • Seward, Frederick D. and Charles, Philip A., Exploring the X-ray Universe, Cambridge University Press, 1995. Explains X-ray astronomy and astrophysics along with its most recent developments. Intended for the undergraduate science major, or above.

Magazine Articles

  • Harrus, Ilana. "Fine Tuning Astronomy." Scientific American. 17 Jun. 2002.
  • Weaver, Kimberly. "The Galactic Odd Couple." Scientific American. July 2003. This article describes the strange connection between Active Galactic Nuclei and active star birth (called "star bursts"). High school and above.
  • Bland-Hawthorne, Jonathan & Cecil, Gerald & Veilleux, Sylvain, "Colossal Galactic Explosions", Scientific American, February 1996, vol. 274, no. 2. Explains the formation and characteristics of active galaxies. Intended for the high school student interested in science, or above.
  • Clarke, Stuart, "Mystery at the Heart of Active Galaxies", Astronomy Now, February 1995, vol. 9, no. 2. Examines whether the many types of active galaxies (quasars, radio galaxies, and Seyferts), are all the same type of object but viewed from different angles. Intended for the high school student interested in science, or above.

ASTRONOMY

See GENERAL ASTRONOMY.

BINARY STAR SYSTEMS

  • http://chandra.harvard.edu/xray_sources/binary_stars.html
    The Chandra X-Ray Observatory website explains the different types of binary star systems. Includes satellite photos, and demonstrational videos. Intended for high school and above.
  • http://www.astro.cornell.edu/academics/courses/astro1101/java/binary/binary.htm
    Try a binary star simulation where YOU can change the masses of the stars, their orbital separation, and a few other factors. High school and above.
  • http://www.midnightkite.com/binstar.html
    This Web site contains much information and other links related to binary star systems. It is maintained by Dan Bruton of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Stephen F. Austin State University. For students in high school and above.
  • http://www.gettysburg.edu/academics/physics/programs/project-clea.dot
    This lab, 'Binary Star Light Curves', was produced by Project CLEA and examines how to determine the period of a variable star from irregularly sampled measurements of its brightness.
    The CLEA Project is associated with Gettysburg College, and develops laboratory exercises which illustrate modern astronomical techniques using digital data and color images. They are suitable for high school and college classes at all levels, but come with defaults set for use in introductory astronomy classes for non-science majors.

Books

  • Gaustad, John & Zeilik, Michael, Astronomy: The Cosmic Perspective- second edition, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1990. This text was designed for an introductory astronomy course for upper high school or undergraduate students who want a comprehensive view and understanding of modern astronomy, including binary stars (see Chapter 17).
  • Giacconi, R. & Gursky, H., X-Ray Astronomy, D. Reidel Publishing Company. Known as a 'classic' X-ray astronomy text book. Includes discussion of binary stars (see Chapters 1 & 4) at a level intended for the undergraduate science major, or above.
  • Giacconi, R. & Tucker, W., The X-ray Universe, Harvard University Press, 1985. Considered to be another 'classic' X-ray astromomy text book. Includes discussion of binary stars (see Chapter 6) at a level intended for the undergraduate science major, or above.
  • Kaufmann, William J. III, Universe, Freeman and Company, 1994. This book comes highly recommended from both students and scientists. It explains many concepts in astronomy from cosmology to high-energy astrophysics, including information on binary stars (see Chapter 18). Intended for the upper high school student with a strong science background and interest, or the undergraduate science major taking a basic astronomy course.
  • Mitton, Jacqueline & Simon, The Young Oxford Book of Astronomy, Oxford University Press, Inc., 1995. This book explains many concepts in astronomy from the Solar System, galaxies, and the Universe, including binary stars. Intended for the middle or high school student.
  • Seward, Frederick D. and Charles, Philip A., Exploring the X-ray Universe, Cambridge University Press, 1995. Explains X-ray astronomy and astrophysics along with its most recent developments. Intended for the undergraduate science major, or above.

BLACK HOLES

Books

  • Gaustad, John & Zeilik, Michael, Astronomy: The Cosmic Perspective- second edition, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1990. This text was designed for an introductory astronomy course for upper high school or undergraduate students who want a comprehensive view and understanding of modern astronomy, including black holes (see Chapters 20 & 21).
  • Giacconi, R. & Gursky, H., X-Ray Astronomy, D. Reidel Publishing Company. Known as a 'classic' X-ray astromomy text book. Includes discussion of black holes (see Chapters 4 & 6) at a level intended for the undergraduate science major, or above.
  • Giacconi, R. & Tucker, W., The X-ray Universe, Harvard University Press, 1985. Considered to be another 'classic' X-ray astromomy text book. Includes discussion of black holes (see Chapter 7) at a level intended for the undergraduate science major, or above.
  • Kaufmann, William J. III, Universe, Freeman and Company, 1994. This book comes highly recommended from both students and scientists. It explains many concepts in astronomy from cosmology to high-energy astrophysics, including information on black holes (see Chapter 24). Intended for the upper high school student with a strong science background and interest, or the undergraduate science major taking a basic astronomy course.
  • Levy, David H., A Nature Company Guide: Skywatching, Time-Life Books, 1995. This book provides a general overview and discussion of astronomical objects, including black holes. For students in middle school or above.
  • Mitton, Jacqueline & Simon, The Young Oxford Book of Astronomy, Oxford University Press, Inc., 1995. This book explains many concepts in astronomy from the Solar System, galaxies, and the Universe, including black holes. Intended for the middle or high school student.
  • Rosen, Sidney, How Far is a Star?, Carolrhoda Books, Inc.,1992. With cartoon characters leading the way, you'll find out about our Sun and other stars (including black holes) in this question-and-answer book. Intended for students in elementary school.
  • Seward, Frederick D. and Charles, Philip A., Exploring the X-ray Universe, Cambridge University Press, 1995. Explains X-ray astronomy and astrophysics along with its most recent developments. Intended for the undergraduate science major, or above.
  • Voyage Through the Universe: Stars, Time-Life Books. This volume is one of a series that examines the Universe in all its aspects. General information for the upper high school student (and above), related to black holes, will be found in the 'Neutron Stars and Black Holes' chapter.

Magazine Articles

  • Charles, Philip A. & Wagner, R. Mark, "Black Holes in Binary Stars: Weighing the Evidence", Sky and Telescope, May 1996, vol. 91, no. 5. >From this article, one can understand that by making X-ray observations, astronomers are sometimes able to detect black holes (especially when coupled to a normal star in a binary system). Intended for the high school student interested in science, or above.
  • Schulkin, Bonnie, "Does a Monster Lurk Closeby", Astronomy, September 1997, vol. 25, no. 9. Describes the possibility of a massive black hole existing at the heart of our Milky Way Galaxy. Intended for the high school student interested in science, or above.
  • Berstein, Jeremy, "The Reluctant Father of Black Holes", Scientific American, June 1996, vol. 274, no. 6. Discusses the details of how Einstein's equations of gravity are the foundation of the modern view of black holes. Intended for the high school student who is interested in science, and above.

CATACLYSMIC VARIABLES

  • http://www.mssl.ucl.ac.uk/www_astro/gal/cv_beginners.html
    This a great site with a progression from a beginner's perspective of CVs to a nearly expert explanation toward the end. Graphs of light curves give the reader a good idea about the kinds of things scientists use to analyze their data. Very informative. High school and above.

Magazine Articles

  • "Accretion Disks in Interacting Binary Stars" by Canizzo & Kaitchuck, 1992, Scientific American, January, 92-99.
  • "Henry Norris Russel Prize Lecture of the American Astronomical Society: Fifty years of novae" by Payne-Gaposchkin, 1977, AJ 82, 665-673. Even though this appeared in a professional journal, it is appropriate for serious amateur astronomers and undergraduates majoring in physical sciences.

COMETS

  • http://meteorshowersonline.com/educate.html
    This pages helps clarify the difference between comets, meteors, and asteroids, giving video samples of each. Elementary level and above.
  • http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/neo/life.html
    How are comets related to life on earth? Scientists think comets brought with them the organic compounds needed for life to begin. High school and above.
  • http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/sl9/
    The NASA homepage for the Comet Shoemaker-Levy impact with Jupiter in 1994. Includes recent development in the results of the collision, GREAT satellite pictures, and background information. High school and above.

Books

  • Hale, Alan. "Everybody"s Comet: A Layman's Guide to Hale-Bopp." High Lonesome Books. August 1996. The author of this book is the co-discoverer of the famous Hale-Bopp comet. He shares his experience of finding the celestial teasure, and teaches a lot of basic astronomy in the process. High school and above.
  • Lewis, John S. "Rain of Iron and Ice." Perseus Publishing. April 1997. Are you curious about the possibility of a comet (or asteroid) collision with Earth? This book outlines the possible risks for the adventurous reader. High school and above.
  • Simon, Seymour. "Comets, Meteors, and Asteroids." Mulberry Books. May 1998. A great book for children of all ages (adults too!), with pictures, definitions, and helpful facts.
  • Rosen, Sidney, Can You Hitch a Ride on a Comet?, Carolrhoda Books, Inc.,1992. With cartoon characters leading the way, you'll find out all kinds of information about comets in this question-and-answer book. Intended for students in elementary school.

COSMIC RAYS

  • http://helios.gsfc.nasa.gov
    Produced by the ACE project at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, this site is designed to increase interest in cosmic rays and heliospheric science. (The heliosphere is the HUGE area in space affected by the Sun.) It also includes some astrophysics basics, a glossary, a history of cosmic ray studies, and the chance to "Ask a Physicist." High school level or above.

DARK MATTER

  • http://cdms.berkeley.edu/Education/
    The Berkeley webpage on dark matter. Check out the Frequently Asked Questions page - it addresses many fundamentally interesting questions about dark matter like "Could dark matter be hidden within other dimensions?" and "What are some ways to detect dark matter?" Appropriate for high school students as well as experienced undergraduate physics majors.
  • http://archive.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Cyberia/Cosmos/RotationsReckon.html
    An explanation of Newton's Law of Gravitation and how it applies to dark matter in galaxies and the universe. You may recognize this law from studies of planetary motions around the Sun. This is a good example of how scientists use the laws of nature to help infer information about invisible things like dark matter. High school level.
  • http://www.eclipse.net/~cmmiller/DM/
    This is a text site written in the form of a scientific paper (still quite appropriate for high school students). It clarifies subjects such as how to determine the mass of a galaxy, how scientists try to look for dark matter, and provides a good explanation of gravitational lensing.
  • http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/rosat/gallery/display/darkmatter.html
    This is a display from ROSAT. It has some information about dark matter in a short paragraph as well as data from the satellite. It is a good resource for middle/high school students and teachers.
  • http://www.kavlifoundation.org/science-spotlights/astrophysics-closing-in-dark-matter
    As the search for dark matter intensifies, the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics at the University of Chicago and the National Academy of Sciences organized a colloquium that brings together cosmologists, particle physicists and observational astrophysicists – three fields now united in the hunt to determine what is dark matter.
  • http://zebu.uoregon.edu/text/darkmatter.txt
    This is "text only". Covers important points and also fairly recent discoveries which contribute to our understanding of dark matter. Accessible for high school.

Magazine Articles

  • "Dark Matter and the Origin of Cosmic Structure", Sky and Telescope. October 1994. Good resource for high school aged students and teachers.
  • "Searching for Dark Matter", Sky and Telescope. January 1994. High school.
  • Graham, Sarah. "Scientists Find Galaxies Devoid of Dark Matter." Scientific American. April 2003. There may not be as much dark matter in the Universe as astronomers previously thought!

Books

  • "Invisible Matter and the Fate of the Universe", by Barry Parker; a decent non-technical book on dark matter, although a little dated (1989)

DIFFUSE BACKGROUND

Books

  • Giacconi, R. & Gursky, H., X-Ray Astronomy, D. Reidel Publishing Company. Known as a 'classic' X-ray astromomy text book. Includes discussion of diffuse background (see Chapter 10) at a level intended for the undergraduate science major, or above.
  • Giacconi, R. & Tucker, W., The X-ray Universe, Harvard University Press, 1985. Considered to be another 'classic' X-ray astromomy text book. Includes discussion of diffuse background (see Chapter 15) at a level intended for the undergraduate science major, or above.
  • Seward, Frederick D. and Charles, Philip A., Exploring the X-ray Universe, Cambridge University Press, 1995. Explains X-ray astronomy and astrophysics along with its most recent developments. Intended for the undergraduate science major, or above.

EARTH

  • http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/
    A fascinating web site with details about life on earth, real time views of the earth, and NASA missions about the Earth. Site includes a section of more than 15 experiments for educators to try with students (see Experiments). A wonderful resource for teachers and students in elementary school and above.
  • http://nineplanets.org/earth.html
    A great fact page about the earth including information on plate tectonics, how the earth evolved, and why it's such a unique planet. Appropriate for middle school students and above.
  • http://www.globe.gov/
    Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) is a worldwide network of students, teachers, and scientists working together to study and understand the global environment.

GALAXIES

  • http://messier.seds.org/galaxy.html
    A description of the different classes of galaxies (spiral, elliptical, etc.), what kinds of objects galaxies contain, and when most galaxies were formed. High school and above.
  • http://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/user/gr/public/gal_home.html
    Lots of interesting information on the Milky Way Galaxy, galaxy clusters, and how galaxies are related to dark matter. Intended for undergraduates, but still accessible for some high school students.
  • http://www.shodor.org/master/galaxsee/
    Software for computing simulations of galaxy formation, and motions of stars in galaxies. Also includes lesson plans for understanding how scientists detect black holes and what happens when galaxies collide. High school level.

Books

  • Rosen, Sidney, Which Way to the Milkyway?, Carolrhoda Books, Inc.,1992. With cartoon characters leading the way, you'll find out much about our Milky Way and other galaxies in this question-and-answer book. Intended for students in elementary school.
  • Gallagher, John S. and Sparke, Linda S., "Galaxies in the Universe: an Introduction," Cambridge University Press. Nov 2000. This text is intended for undergraduates with a major in astronomy or physics. Includes fundamentals of astrophysics, observations, and problems for the student to try.
  • Waller, William H. and Hodge, Paul W., "Galaxies and the Cosmic Frontier," Harvard University Press. May 2003. A basic guide to the latest in galactic astronomy including galaxy formation, information on quasars, and the Big Bang. A good resource for astronomy enthusiasts, high school and above.

GAMMA RAY BURSTS

Magazine Articles

  • Graham, Sarah. "A Gamma Ray Burst, in Detail." Scientific American. 20 Mar. 2003.
  • Schilling, Govert. "Monster Gamma Ray Burst." Sky & Telescope. April 2003. A gamma-ray burst in the constellation Leo was naked-eye visible on March 29, 2003!
  • "Unsolved Mysteries of the Sun -- Part II; Gamma-Ray Bursts: A Growing Enigma" Sky and Telescope. September 1996. Aimed at the mature astronomer and a good resource for high school aged students and teachers.
  • "A New View to a Kill", by Peter Kurczynski. Mercury Magazine. Volume 27, #4. July/August 1997. For the first time since gamma-ray bursts were discovered, these elusive high-energy flashes have shown up in X-ray and optical images. Written for the motivated non-expert. Appropriate for high school/undergraduates.
  • "The Mother of All Fireworks", by Peter Kurczynski. Mercury Magazine. Volume 25 #5. September/October 1996. Spy satellites saw them first. They blast with the energy of a supernova. And every time astronomers think they know what they are, gamma-ray bursts reveal a surprise.
  • Fishman, Gerald J. & Harmann, Dieter H., "Gamma-Ray Bursts", Scientific American, January 1997, vol. 277, no. 1. Explains one of the most powerful explosions in the Universe. Intended for the high school student interested in science, or above.

Books

  • Katz, Jonathan I. "The Biggest Bangs: the Mystery of Gamma-Ray Bursts, the Most Violent Explosions in the Universe." Oxford University Press. March 2002.
  • Schilling, Govert. "Flash! The Hunt for the Biggest Explosions in the Universe." Cambridge University Press. June 2002.

Both books are appropriate for high school students and people with varying curiosity about gamma-ray bursts and the scientific process, in general.

GAMMA-RAY DETECTORS

  • http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/cgro/
    This Web site is the Compton Gamma-Ray Astronomy home page. It has a lot of information presented in a fairly straightforward way. Includes images, new discoveries, and specs on the instruments. Unfortunately information on many levels is all mixed in together, from middle school to college.
  • http://swift.gsfc.nasa.gov
    This is the official website for NASA's Swift Mission, a multi-wavelength observatory dedicated to Gamma-Ray Burst detection. The site includes a general overview of GRBs as well as explanations and pictures of instruments. The site is updated regularly with news on the mission. Material spans all levels, including high school, undergrad, and expert information.
  • http://www-glast.stanford.edu/
    Official web page for GLAST (Gamma Ray Large Area Space Telescope). The next generation of gamma ray detectors, this telescope will be able to view large areas at a time, making it easier to "catch" bursts when they happen. The site gives details about instrumentation and mission goals. Appropriate for high school.

GENERAL ASTRONOMY

  • http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov
    The Imagine the Universe! counterpart for younger astronomers. This site is aimed at students grades K-4 (designated Level 1) and 5-8 (designated Level 2). It contains easy-to-understand information about the solar system, the Universe, and other "space stuff" as well as activities, movies, puzzles, etc. Each topic has a short quiz at the end. This site, written by middle school teachers, is a great educational resource with lots of fun!
  • http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/www_info/webstars.html
    WebStars: Astrophysics in Cyberspace, a large list of other astronomy sites, with short descriptions.
  • http://apod.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html
    Astronomy Picture of the Day: Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating Universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Archived pictures (sorted by date and by subject) go back to June, 1995. The text is very informative and contains useful links to related information. Accessible for high school students and above.
  • http://www.opticsforkids.com/
    An introduction to optics, including facts about rainbows, stars, and lasers. Material appropriate for K-12 readers.
  • http://burro.astr.cwru.edu/JavaLab/web/main.html
    Create your own colliding galaxies, Use Jupiter's moons to determine its mass, and many more internet-based simulations. Material ranges from high school through college and even graduate school.
  • http://www.astronomytoday.com
    Learn about the latest physical theories, past and present space travel, as well as your current night sky. A good resource for high school students, and above.

GRAVITATIONAL WAVES