GAMES, TOOLS, BOOKS AND SOFTWARE TO EXPLORE ASTRONOMY

Games, tools, links, books and software on astronomy! Play and Learn!

A few steps to become amateur ASTRONOMER!

I Read astronomical books.
The best books to start:

Nightwatch

Backyard Astronomets Quide

Monthly Sky Quide

I Use astronomical software.

A wonderful, easy to use and powerful free software to start with is stelarium, download here. You also may use  google sky map on your mobile phone or tablet.

I Get familiar to astronomical terms.
It’s not eesy to remember all the new words! But the more you read and the more yoy talk to your friends about stars the more familiarized you get with terminology.

I Make star friends.
There are more than 35 Unions of Amateur Astronomers throughout Greece. It is not hard to spot one near you, attend their meetings and observe through their telescopes.

I Go to star parties.

Amateur astronomers all over Greece hold monthly star parties on mountains away from big cities and light pollution.

I Observe the night sky.

There are many things you can observe even from the city center. The Moon motion and phases, the brightest stars and a few planets. You may observe the Constellations as well as the artificial satellites!

I Learn celestial mechanics.

I realize which constellations are observable in winter, spring, summer and autumn. How solar and lunar eclipses work. Why moon passes  through phases.  The more you observe, the more you read, the more you realize, the more you love it!

I Learn about telescopes and binoculars.

You may find a buying guide here. If you attend starparties you may get familiar with many types of telescopes and find out which fits you best.

I photo shout star trails and time-lapse photography.
A comprehensive guide here.Οδηγός για timelapse εδώ.

I capture deep sky objects.
Σελίδες αστροφωτογράφων με φωτογραφίες και πληροφορίες εξοπλισμού εδώ Αντώνης και εδώ Άγγελος.

The most useful links on astronomy.

www.astrovox.gr  The forum of amateur astronomers. Find here any piece of information, any answer, anything!

www.stellarium.org  A free powerful planetarium on your PC.

http://ap-i.net/skychart/el/start  - Cartes du Ciel, a free powerful planetarium on your PC.

Google sky map for android

Star chart for android

ΩΡΙΩΝ android app  full astronomical calendar packed with tools for android.

www.heavens-above.com  gives accurate predictions for the Sun, Moon, all planets, satellites etc.

www.derekscope.co.uk   the most useful guide to observe Lunar craters and maria.

www.virtualcolony.com/sac  complete guide to deep sky objects (Messier, NGC etc)

www.saguaroastro.org/  observing lists for any purpose: double stars, Messier catalogue, binocular list, etc.

www.aavso.org/  variable stars portal.

www.asteroidoccultation.com  occultation prediction portal

eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/solar.html eclipse prediction portal.

www.projectpluto.com/jeve_grs.htm Jovian red spot prediction portal

Astronomical events for the public are held in these places.

observatory.phys.uoa.gr/ Univercity of Athens, Dep of Physics

www.noa.gr National Observatiry of Athens (two venues; one at Thission, Acropolis the other at Penteli Mt.)

www.eugenfound.edu.gr  Eugenides Foundation, Athens Planetarium

KAHOOT

https://kahoot.it/

Create your own questions or play any available question game. Yo can only play online through the web. Very interactive and funny.

A guide for creators here:

http://tiemathasimera.blogspot.com/2018/12/kahoot.html?m=1

MEMOR I STUDIO

http://memoristudio.scify.org/games

Memory games on any scientific subject. For kids. You cannot play online. You must download the game to your PC.

ZOONIVERSE

https://www.zooniverse.org/

In this portal everybody helps the scientists through scientific images  to distinguish between galaxies, exoplanets etc. 

Other useful portals for educators and kids.

http://www.space-awareness.org/el/

https://astroedu.iau.org/en/

http://www.spacescoop.org/el/

ESA: https://m.esa.int/ESA

NASA: https://www.nasa.gov/kidsclub/index.html