You Can Do Astronomy LLC is an accessibility design and consulting company with a focus on making astronomy and space science accessible to people with disabilties. It is estimated that 10 million people in North America are visually impaired. A majority of Museums offer little or no accommodations for this population, as many exhibits sit behind glass cases. Museums can make their facilities more welcoming to attract a broader audience through universal design.

Their service offering involves a combination of design and consulting. This includes, but is not limited to, Museums or educational organizations who want to revise their facilities and programming to be more welcoming and accessible, as well as publishers and product developers who are interested in creating materials and programs which truly reach a universal audience. They make astronomy topics accessible through design and production of tactile illustrations. They make planetarium theaters and educational programs more accessible to visitors with disabilities through tactile illustrations, captioning, assistive listening devices and designing thoughtful spaces for people in wheelchairs.

For more information, please visit http://www.youcandoastronomy.com

Astronomy is a wonderful hobby. As an electrical engineer and all-around tinkerer, part of the fun for me is designing and building tools that I can use to enhance the time I spend sitting out under the dark open sky. Some of these tools are specific to my setup, but some of them are certainly useful to others so I offer them for sale here.

I believe that you will find these products useful and a value for the price. If you order anything and are not satisfied, you can return them within 30 days and I will gladly refund the price of products. Based upon some excellent feedback from customers, we have added a few new features to our FocusPal and FocusPal2 software.

For more information, please visit http://www.store.shoestringastronomy.com

Nearly 400 years after Galileo first observed the heavens through a telescope, we continue to seek answers to age-old questions about the universe. And while the technology has evolved over the centuries, the inquiry remains essentially the same: What’s out there, where did it come from, and what does it mean? At the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), we’re working hard to study and explain the once-unimaginable celestial phenomena now made visible using Hubble’s cutting-edge technology. In the course of this exploration we will continue to share with you the grace and beauty of the universe, because the discoveries belong to all of them.

Probe deeper! Explore the following links to learn more about who they are and what they do. At the heart of STScI’s mission are outreach and education. Their Office of Public Outreach (OPO), which created this Web site, finds innovative ways to share Hubble’s remarkable discoveries with the public. OPO exists as a unique blend of communications professionals and scientists working together to prepare and disseminate the photographs and animations seen in the news… as well as posters, slide shows, exhibits, and educational products in print and electronic formats.

For more information, please visit http://hubblesite.org/explore_astronomy

The Hubble Space Telescope has undoubtedly had a greater public impact than any other space astronomy mission ever. The images [] are quite staggering in what they reveal about the Universe we live in and have already become part of our common scientific and cultural heritage. Their Vision is To excel in science communication and stay a powerhouse in the field especially within the areas of visual science communication, popular science writing and innovative knowledge management. Their Mission is To serve the community of astronomers, journalists, teachers and laypeople with the best possible science communication products, as efficiently as possible, and adapt their strategies to suit the needs of the target group whenever needed.

The Hubble Space Telescope is a collaboration between ESA and NASA. It’s a long-term, space-based observatory. The observations are carried out in visible, infrared and ultraviolet light. In many ways Hubble has revolutionised modern astronomy, by not only being an efficient tool for making new discoveries, but also by driving astronomical research in general. The Universe is gloriously transparent to visible light over journeys lasting billions of years. However, in the last few microseconds before light arrives at telescope mirrors on Earth it must travel through our turbulent atmosphere and the fine cosmic details become blurred. It is this same atmospheric turbulence that makes the stars appear to twinkle on a dark night.

For more information, please visit http://www.spacetelescope.org

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) was established in 1989 by the Canadian Space Agency Act. The agency operates like a government department. The president is the equivalent of a deputy minister and reports to the Minister of Industry. The president oversees five core functions: Space Programs, Space Technologies, Space Science, Canadian Astronaut Office, Space Operations. He also looks after six executive functions (Audit, Evaluation and Review; Corporate Management; Communications; Strategic Development; External Relations; Government Liaison) and three Corporate functions (Legal Services, Administration, and Human Resources). The President is supported by the Senior Vice-President and the Vice-President, Science, Technology and Programs.

The Canadian Space Agency is committed to leading the development and application of space knowledge for the benefit of Canadians and humanity. To achieve this, the Agency promotes an environment where all levels of the organization: pursue excellence collectively, commit itself to both empowerment and accountability and , pledge to cooperate and work with partners to their mutual benefit. The mandate of the Canadian Space Agency is: To promote the peaceful use and development of space, to advance the knowledge of space through science and to ensure that space science and technology provide social and economic benefits for Canadians.

For more information, please visit http://www.space.gc.ca

Space is an essential part of all our lives and one of the key enablers of the global economy. Space has revolutionised telecommunications, climate and weather forecasting, information sharing, commerce, security, banking, navigation and TV broadcasting. The UK space sector is thriving, Britain currently has a 6% share of the global space market and is second only to the USA in space science. The UK Space Agency is at the heart of UK efforts to explore space and support their space scientists and space industry. The UK Space Agency is responsible for all strategic decisions on the UK civil space programme and provides a clear, single voice for UK space ambitions.

The UK Space Agency will also have a mechanism for interfacing with other departments on security and military programmes. Although it will not manage these programmes directly, the UK Space Agency will be kept informed and involved in decisions relating to the programmes as necessary. Collaboration lies at the heart of the UK Space Agency ethos and applies across Government as well as to external organisations including European and global partners such as the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Union, national space agencies and the United Nations. The UK Space Agency was officially launched on 23 March 2010. Following the launch a transition team is working to define the shape of the new UK Space Agency.

For more information, please visit http://www.ukspaceagency.bis.gov.uk

The Chippewa Valley Astronomical Society (C.V.A.S.) is an amateur astronomy club in Wisconsin’s Chippewa Valley. The society, which currently has more than 50 members, meets at Hobbs Observatory in the Beaver Creek Reserve near Fall Creek Wisconsin. C.V.A.S. members cover a broad spectrum of astronomical interests, from casual observing of the constellations to serious visual observing, astrophotography, astrometry, CCD imaging, computer control of telescopes, photometry, telescope building, and radio astronomy.

Public talks are given at 8 p.m. on the third Saturday of every month at Hobbs Observatory, followed by observing ( if it’s clear.) Hobbs Observatory , with it’s twin domes, is located in the Beaver Creek Reserve near Fall Creek, Wisconsin. The building also contains The Robert Elliott Classroom, an office, and a small library. The observatory is used by C.V.A.S. members, the Beaver Creek Reserve, and the Physics and Astronomy Department of the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire.

For more information, please visit http://www.cvastro.org

Although the public announcement does not explicitly state this, continuation of the JCMT beyond 2012 is envisaged and is contingent, inter alia, on the astronomical performance of the SCUBA-2 instrument. The UKIRT decision is a profound disappointment for everyone associated with the observatory. They are working with STFC to define the timescale and the implementation details, and they are also looking at alternative modes of operation. They emphasise that no decision has yet been taken to close the facility.

The UKIRT decision is a profound disappointment for everyone associated with the observatory. We are working with STFC to define the timescale and the implementation details, and we are also looking at alternative modes of operation. We emphasise that no decision has yet been taken to close the facility. With a diameter of 15m the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) is the largest astronomical telescope in the world designed specifically to operate in the submillimeter wavelength region of the spectrum. The JCMT is used to study our Solar System, interstellar dust and gas, and distant galaxies. It is situated close to the summit of Mauna Kea, Hawaii, at an altitude of 4092m.

For more information, please visit http://www.jach.hawaii.edu

The Longmont Astronomical Society is a non-profit amateur astronomy club based in Longmont, Colorado. The club was founded in 1987 by people enthused about astronomy and who were looking for an avenue to share their enthusiasm with others of like interest. Since then the club’s membership has grown to over 100 (both families and individuals) that embody all levels of experience and interest. The Longmont Astronomical Society’s main goal is to promote local amateur astronomy. This is accomplished through regular monthly meetings, star parties and public observing sessions. Regular meetings are held every month (except December) on the third Thursday.

In basic form, a star party is an informal gathering of people with one purpose in mind: to observe astronomical phenomena. Attendance is always optional and groups can be as small as two or as large as 30. Many members bring their own telescopes and related observing equipment, but one doesn’t have to own any kind of telescope to enjoy an L.A.S. star party. Members are eager to share their knowledge and celestial views with both newcomers and experienced observers alike. Star parties are also an excellent place to learn about the night sky and to discover the types of views diverse astronomical instruments provide.

For more information, please visit http://www.longmontastro.org

The Edwin E. Aldrin Astronomical Center is the hub of our club’s activities. Named for second man on the Moon, a Montclair New Jersey native, this is where we hold our monthly meetings and educational events. NJ State Park System sometimes closes the road to the Observatory after heavy snowfalls. The NJAA will be closed when our road is closed. During inclement weather (cloudy, rain) our telescopes will be closed but the facility will remain open. For unexpected Observatory closures please (check the website/ call ahead) before coming out. The NJAA is proud to be part of NASA’s Night Sky Network – a nationwide coalition of amateur astronomy clubs bringing the science, technology and inspiration of NASA’s missions to the general public.

They share their time and telescopes to provide you with unique astronomy experiences at our observatory and under the night sky. The heart of the telescope is the primary mirror which is 26 inches in diameter. The instrument is currently a Newtonian with a focal ratio of f/4, but is soon to be converted to a Cassegrain design. The telescope mount, a modified German Equatorial, is from Indiana University, where it had been used in experimental work. Its mount is a massive iron casting nearly seven feet high and its foundation penetrates twenty feet underground to the mountain’s bedrock!

For more information, please visit http://www.njaa.org