The following resources are provided to help teachers locate information about the current night sky, astronomical facts, classroom activities, and observing opportunities in the community.

Useful Links The Stargazer Sky & Telescope Heavens Above Skylights Space Weather Sea & Sky The Nine Planets Paper Plate Astronomy Exploring Planets Camp McGregor Observatory

Recommended Books Nightwatch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe by Terrence Dickinson Secrets of the Night Sky: The Most Amazing Things in the Universe You Can See With the Naked Eye by Bob Berman The New Patterns in the Sky: Myths and Legends of the Stars by Julius D.W. Staal

Teacher Notes

• A researcher has recently questioned the validity of the facts presented in "Follow the Drinking Gourd", a popular song that described how slaves used the big dipper to escape to the North to freedom. To find out more about his research, visit followthedrinking.org

• The Sun is experiencing a deep solar minimum in which very few sunspots have been observed over the past few years.  Meanwhile, scientists are discovering new asteroids that cross the orbit of earth. To learn more about the sun, aurorae, and earth-crossing asteroids, check out  spaceweather.com periodically. It contains a lot of information and cool pictures that you can use in class from time to time.