Interesting biographical information and achievements of Sir Isaac Newton, famous physicist, astronomer, mathematician, and philosopher.

Discover interesting fun facts about the life of Galileo Galilei, Italian astronomer, mathematician, and physicist.

An image of "Astronomer", created by Albrecht Durer in 1500 (Woodcut).

An image of "Bust of the Astronomer Chanoine Pingre", created by Jean-Jacques Caffieri in 1788 (Terracotta, height 47 cm).

An image of "Astronomer", created by Gerrit Dou from 1650-55 (Oil on panel, 27 x 29 cm).

An image of "Johannes Hevelius, Astronomer", created by Daniel Ii Schultz before 1683 (Oil on canvas).

An image of "The Astronomer", created by Johannes Vermeer, c. 1668 (Oil on canvas, 50 x 45 cm).

In mythology, it was Eris that sparked the quarrel ultimately resulting in the Trojan War. It was fitting then that Michael Brown of the California Institute of Technology should name this highly debated object Eris. Learn more about...

NASA site recounts the history of the Venus Transits that have occurred over the past centuries and the various descriptions astronomers have written about them.

Investigate how astronomers detect movements of stars by studying the Doppler effect on the star's light spectrum. Construct a model that illustrates this concept underlying red shift.

This site from the University of Arizona provides a background of Ptolemy's profound influence in the areas of astronomy, geography, and cartography. Includes good pictures and related links.

An easy-to-read description and history of Ptolemy's geocentric model of the universe. Geocentric means that Ptolemy believed the Earth was the center of the universe.

The notable English scientist and mathematician Sir Isaac Newton lived from 1642-1727. This site is a brief biography.

A university-level introduction to basic astronomy. Includes course readings, assignments, exams, and study notes with links to images and to biographical profiles of famous astronomers.

Basic characteristics and definition, how astronomers study supernovae, the types of supernovae, where they occur, theories about supernovae, what supernovae tell us about the universe, and the effects of supernovae.

A look at the life of a brilliant colonial American who was a mathematician, astronomer, inventor, surveyor and writer. (In Spanish)

This video segment adapted from First Light explains why the highest peak in the Pacific, Mauna Kea, is an ideal site for astronomical observations. Featured are new telescope technologies that allow astronomers to explore the universe...

Astronomer Carl Sagan discusses the possibility of time travel in this audio-enhanced interview from the NOVAWeb site.

In this interactive activity from NOVA Online, learn about a type of exploding star - a Type Ia supernova - that is so bright that astronomers can measure the distance to the galaxy in which it resides, and even learn which elements make...

Did you know that ancient astronomers could measure the distance to other stars? They could also distinguish between stars and planets. How could they do that without modern technology of telescopes? See if you can discover the link...

How do astronomers collect stardust? They design and build satellites that are launched into space to collect particles on specially designed panels. Satellites can be sent to orbit around an object of interest: a planet, moon, or comet....

Astronomers can determine the atomic composition of distant stars by measuring the spectrum of light emitted by the star. Sound cool? Well in this project you can do something similar by observing the color of flames when various...

Access a collection of articles about the scientific contributions made by the ancient Chinese in the areas of astronomy and geography. Includes write-ups of famous astronomers and geographers, astronomical instruments, and more.

An image of a typical quasar and a star. An explanation written by a professional astronomer is included. There are also many embedded links within the text to related topics.