Outer Space Apps and Sites

For the last couple of days, I've had some fun exploring Google Sky and satellite videos. In the last of a series, here are some free tools and sites you can use to expand your knowledge of outer space.

Head for Outer Space
If you're interested in tracking satellites and poking around in outer space (and haven't had your fill with Google Sky), here are some programs and sites you might want to look at:

Heavens-Above: Great site for real-time satellite tracking.

J-Track Satellite Tracking: Keep a tab on Hubble, Mir, and others, all as it happens. This NASA site has other tracking tools, including weather and search satellites.

Real Time Satellite Tracking: Lots of satellites to track, but often the ads are larger that the maps. Nonetheless, you can see a Google mashup map of the satellite and also see a real-time positioning readout.

Get satellite positioning as it happens

Asynx Planetarium: If you're just starting out in astronomy and feel a little overwhelmed with star charting, the free Asynx Planetarium is ideal. You can grab an overview of the night sky for tonight, or for the next night you're outside looking up.

StarCalc: Handy, free program for creating views of the position of stars (and planets), with features for zooming, rotating, and calculating objects.

StarCalc tells you if Mercury is rising over Venus -- or vice versa

SkyOrb: From any location in space, this freebie calculates the positions of planets, sun, and moon, as well as the rise and set times of the object's satellites. SkyOrb quickly does 3D rendering of views from space, including solar and lunar eclipses, solstices and equinoxes. Very cool.

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