Astronomy for Kids

Kids can use different types of telescopes and binoculars to pursue their interest in astronomy. These devices can be applied to study the planets, the comets, the Moon, the Sun, the stars, the universe, the eclipses, the constellations and the black holes.

Astronomy software

Name of the software program	Explanation
3D StarChart	The universe in 80 light years is shown in 3-dimension
Andromeda Software	Astronomy software and CD-ROMS
AstroGrav	Motion of astronomical objects under the effect of gravity
Atlas du Ciel 7.0	Sky Atlas
Atom Time	PC system clock is synchronized to the atomic time standard
ChView	3-dimension Star Maps
Coeli Software	Stella 2000, AdAstra, Coeli, AstroTray, Electric Planisphere, Sky Quiz, Visual Planets, Dictionary of Astronomy
CoolSky	Use of OpenGL graphics
CyberSky	Demonstrates charts of the sky
Deep Space/Planet Tracker	Astronomy software for amateurs and learners
DeepSky	Astronomical observation, image taking and photograph deciding tool
Deep Sky Planner	Observation planning and logging software
Distant Suns	Planetarium program
Earth centered universe	Telescope controlled program
Home planet	Astronomy, space and satellite-tracking package
JupSat 95	Data concerning the Moon and Jupiter
LunarPhase	Information regarding the Moon
Maxclock	Astronomical software clock
Maxim DL 2.0	Astronomical image processing and CCD camera control
Meridian	Related to the solar system
MyStars!	Sky Charts
PlanetWatch	Atlas of the Solar system
Power Age	Sky simulator
RedShift 6	Planetarium
Shadows	Sundial design
SkyChart III	Sky map, satellite tracking and computer control
SkyCharts	Sky Atlas
SkyMap	SkyMap Pro Planetarium program
SkyMap Pro	An excellent sky chart
SkySight	CCD camera control and image processing software
SkyTools	Astro tool package
StarClock	Animation of stellar evolution in the HR diagram for stars
Stargazer's delight	Planetarium software
Starry Night backyard	Famous planetarium program
Starry Night pro	Famous planetarium program
StarStrider	Software planetarium
StarTrak	Computerised database for Dobsonian telescopes
The Sky 6	Planetarium program
The Universe 3D	A multimedia encyclopedia
Twilight software	Interactive 3 Dimension circumlunar flight simulator
Voyager III	Planetarium software
Winstars 2	Planetarium software
Xplns	Planisphere for X windows

Astronomy pictures

These are divided into several categories like Astrophotography, Comet Hale-Bopp, Companies, Galaxies, Hubble Space Telescope, Messier Objects, NASA, Planets and the Sun. Kids can browse through a myriad of pictures pertaining to each category on the Internet and enrich their knowledge.

Astronomy for kids

A comet is a rocky substance held together by frozen gases. The different parts are called as the halo, the head and the tail. Gas and water make up 70-80% of a comet. The rest is pieces of metal and rocks. Ice forms the outer layer that evaporates when it approaches the Sun. The Moon perpetually alters its shape from a crescent to a full one. These changes are called phases. The shadow of the Moon travels from East to West. The line dividing the portion from the dark part is called as the 'terminator'. The Sun is about 4.6 billion years old. Thermonuclear reactions occur in it's core and energy is released. It is predicted that after all the energy is used up, it would collapse to the Earth's size and transform to a white dwarf. Large balls of glowing gas in the universe are called Stars. It has been guessed that there are 200 billion, billion stars. The Sun is the closest star and the next one is 25 million, million miles from the Earth. At the beginning, the universe was a molecule. Since then it has been ever expanding. Galaxies make up the universe. Every galaxy is comprised of stars. Stars are made up of hydrogen and helium gases. A lunar eclipse happens when the Moon moves through the Earth's shadow. A Solar eclipse happens when the Moon is in front of the Sun and blocks most of the Sun's light from reaching the Earth. A constellation is a group of stars. A few are named after animals while some after mythological characters. A celestial body where the force of gravity is so strong that even light cannot escape is called as a black hole. This body is invisible.