Look at the stars in the sky. Milky Way of the Solar System

Visit the Goddard Space Flight Center
	The view of the night sky and all the wonders of stars and galaxies are an awe-inspiring sight of the glittering canopy of stars. Take a friend out to look at the stars for an evening of special delight.

Welcome to Your Sky, the interactive planetarium of the Web. A guide to identify the characters in the nightly drama outside your own window. You can generate sky maps showing major objects visible in your area at a given time. Works by entering your latitude and longitude or the name from a list city around the world to create a sky map with a view toward the horizon or overhead. A virtual telescope also lets you 6track comets and asteroids without ever leaving your home.

Earth and Moon Viewer, Interactive server which lets you view the Earth and Moon, as illuminated by the Sun at the time of your request, from a variety of viewpoints.

Solar System Live, Welcome to Solar System Live, the interactive Orrery of the Web. You can view the entire Solar System, or just the inner planets (through the orbit of Mars). Controls allow you to set time and date, viewpoint, observing location, orbital elements to track an asteroid or comet, and a variety of other parameters.

Light Pollution

The man-made glow from urban areas is taking its toll.Poorly designed, energy-wasting lighting is producing a "sky glow" that brightens the background against which we see the stars. This glow obscures faint stars and galaxies and results in a night sky in which few celestial objects are visible.

This light pollution affects us all, not just the astronomers! It's getting more and more difficult to see the brilliance of the Milky Way. There are many urbanites who have never experienced the awe-inspiring sight of that glittering canopy of stars. We all play a part in producing this glow and can learn to make choices that help reduce its effects.

Here are some tips to reduce light pollution

Use well-designed lighting that shines down where it is needed, not up to the skies.

Use time controls, dimmers or light sensors to insure that light is there only when it is needed.

Design and install lighting that minimizes glare.

Use the right amount of light for the task, don't overdo it.

Use energy-efficient low-pressure sodium (LPS) lamps where possible. These are excellent for street and security lights and parking lots.

Sky Screen Saver for Windows