The Sloan Digital Sky Survey Sky Map provides a remarkable visual exploration of only 400,000 galaxies. Yes, only 400,000 out of billions. This video, made in the visible spectrum, could possibly be the most amazing sequence of images a human has ever seen. Warning! This video’s grand scale may cause you to experience vertigo.
The pictures of the night sky captured and edited by Rogelio Bernal Andreo are remarkable for their quality and detail. Every snapshot of the sky contains a beautiful array of color and texture. Check out his mosaic of the Orion constellation. Also, visit Andreo’s website to see these stunning images in HD.
Astrophotographer Stephane Guisard created a mosaic of the Milky Way’s central bulge with 1200 images and 200 hours of exposure time. The resulting picture is just remarkable. Check out the HD zoomable version here.
I had to purchase Observing the Universe: A Guide to Observational Astronomy and Planetary Science, by Andrew Norton, for the Duke TIP program at PARI. It explains in good detail many aspects of observational astronomy. Good book for a serious introduction to this subject.
The Biggest Bangs: The Mystery of Gamma-ray Bursts, the Most Violent Explosions in the Universe by Jonathan Katz is a decent book on gamma-ray bursts and their history. I would recommend this book as an introduction to these transient phenomena.
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