In an astounding development, images from the Italian/Dutch BeppoSAX satellite and Compton Gamma Ray Observatory satellite have detected a "cosmic gamma ray burst [that] released a hundred times more energy than previously theorized, making it the most powerful explosion since the creation of the universe in the Big Bang." According to Professor George Djorgovski of the California Institute of...

The 305m radio telescope at the Arecibo Observatory "is the largest single-dish radio telescope on our planet and is available to the global scientific community for astronomical observation at wavelengths between 6 m and 3 m." Researchers can search WAPP data and information about past, present, and future projects at the Observatory. The extensive website provides numerous data reduction...

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) "operates powerful, advanced radio telescopes spanning the western hemisphere." The website is nicely divided into information for the general public, astronomers, and teachers and students. Users can learn all about NRAO's many telescopes located throughout the United States. Researchers can find out about meetings, conferences, software resources,...

The National Undergraduate Research Observatory (NURO) at Northern Arizona University and Lowell Observatory "is a consortium of primarily undergraduate institutions which have joined together to provide hands-on training and research experiences for undergraduate students." While the Key Projects link is under construction, users can find out about past student projects at the Undergraduate...

This site provides information related to the recently discovered asteroid 1997XF11. NASA's Near Earth Asteroid Tracking (NEAT) is an observatory in Maui, Hawaii. The site provides images and information about newly discovered asteroids, comets, and other unusual objects.

NOVA's Runaway Universe site is the companion Web site to the television program of the same name, which followed the efforts of two rival teams of astronomers as they search for exploding stars, map out gigantic cosmic patterns of galaxies, and grapple with the ultimate question: What is the fate of the universe? Visitors of the site will find an interactive timeline of the universe, learn what...

At NOVA's Origins website, users can "journey back to the beginning of everything: the universe, Earth, and life itself." The web site offers a series of interactive modules where visitors can decide if life exists on other planets in the Milky Way, view where scientists are making large discoveries of life's origins, and much more. Users can find fascinating articles addressing life on Mars, the...

This website, created by scientist David Harper and webmaster and mathematician Lynne Stockman, offers interactive modules about the sun, moon, and Earth. Users can calculate the distance between any two locations on Earth and determine latitudes and longitudes. The site displays the phases of the moon and lists the occurrences of eclipses. Visitors can learn about Blue Moons and when they are...

This Topic in Depth explores the Web's offerings on Orbits. The first site is offered by Northwestern University and asks: What is an orbit? (1 ). The site answers questions such as What causes an orbit to happen?, What is a satellite?, What travels in an orbit?, and Are there orbits within orbits?. A great starting site for this subject, visitors should come away with a broad and clear...

University of Bologna Astronomical Observatory, Loiano Astronomical Observatory, and Astronomy Department at the University of Bologna, Italy. Sites include research activities, photos, and a Visit to the Astronomical Museum to view items from their collection.