Online resources for Astronomy/Astrophysics/Cosmology

Authors

• Shruti Pandharipande
• Rimsha Arif 

Organizations website

International

• NASA’s website is a great resource for news and information about current and upcoming space missions, as well as a wealth of educational materials on a variety of astronomy and astrophysics topics.
• The European Space Agency’s website is another excellent source for space-related news and information, with a particular focus on European space missions and research.
• The Chandra X-ray Observatory is operated by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and provides a wealth of information and resources on X-ray astronomy.
• The Hubble Space Telescope is operated by NASA and the European Space Agency, and provides a variety of images, videos, and educational resources on a wide range of astronomical topics.
• The National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory is a US national research facility that provides access to a variety of telescopes and instrumentation for professional and amateur astronomers.
• The American Astronomical Society is the major professional organization for astronomers in the United States, and provides a variety of resources, including job listings and educational materials, for students and professionals in the field.
• The Royal Astronomical Society is the professional body for Astronomers in UK, they also have a lot of resources and publications.
• The International Astronomical Union is an organization of professional astronomers that serves as the internationally recognized authority for assigning designations and names to celestial bodies and their features.
• The CosmoQuest is a citizen science project where you can participate, learn, and explore the universe.
• The International Astronomical Search Collaboration (IASC) is a citizen science program that provides high-quality astronomical data to citizen scientists around the world. These citizen scientists are able to make original astronomical discoveries and participate in hands-on astronomy. This service is provided at no cost!
• The Zooniverse is the world’s largest and most popular platform for people-powered research. Zooniverse research results in new discoveries, datasets useful to the wider research community, and many publications.

Indian

• IIRS-ISRO Outreach Programme focusses on strengthening the Academia and User Segments in Space Technology & Its Applications using Online Learning Platforms. Under this programme the two modes of content delivery system is developed using online learning platforms (i.e) Live & Interactive mode (known as EDUSAT) and e-Learning mode.

YouTube Channels

• “Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell”  (also available in Hindi) provides animated explanations of complex scientific concepts, including several videos on astronomy and cosmology.

• “The Vigyan TV” is a science and technology channel that provides educational content and news updates on various scientific and technological topics. The channel features videos on topics such as physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, engineering, and more. The channel also features interviews with experts in various fields and updates on the latest scientific research and discoveries.
• “MinutePhysics” provides short, animated explanations of physics concepts, including several videos on cosmology and the nature of the universe.
• “SciShow Space” is a channel dedicated to all things space, from the latest news to historical events and scientific discoveries.
• “PBS Space Time” is a channel that focuses on explaining the latest discoveries in physics, cosmology and astronomy in an easy to understand way
• “Astronomy Cast” is a podcast and YouTube channel that provides a weekly discussion of the latest news and discoveries in astronomy and space science.
• “Veritasium” is a channel of science and engineering videos featuring experiments, expert interviews, cool demos, and discussions with the public about everything science.
• “StarTalk” is a podcast on science, comedy, and popular culture hosted by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, with various comic and celebrity co-hosts and frequent guests from the worlds of science and entertainment.
• “3Blue1Brown” is a math YouTube channel created and run by Grant Sanderson. The channel focuses on teaching higher mathematics from a visual perspective, and on the process of discovery and inquiry-based learning in mathematics, which Sanderson calls “inventing math”. 

Courses

• “MIT OpenCourseWare” is an initiative of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to publish all of the educational materials from its undergraduate- and graduate-level courses online, freely and openly available to anyone, anywhere.
• “NIMBUS Education”  provides guidance and coaching to the students for IITs, NITs, BITS and Govt. Medical colleges and AIIMS (IIT JEE NEET).  

Books

• “A Brief History of Time” by Stephen Hawking is a classic introduction to the fundamental concepts of cosmology and the nature of the universe.
• “The Elegant Universe” by Brian Greene is a popular-science book that provides a comprehensive introduction to the theory of relativity and quantum mechanics, and their implications for our understanding of the universe.
• “The Big Bang” by Simon Singh is a popular-science book that provides a comprehensive history of the discoveries and theories that led to our current understanding of the origins of the universe.
• “Cosmos” by Carl Sagan is a classic introduction to the field of astronomy and the search for understanding of the universe.
• “The Self-Illuminating Universe” by Eric Chaisson is a book that provides a comprehensive overview of the history of the universe and the evolution of life.
• “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions” by Thomas S. Kuhn is a classic book on the history of science, and provides insight into how scientific revolutions happen and how our understanding of the universe evolves over time.
• “An Introduction to Astrophysics” by Baidyanath Basu is an excellent book that provides a comprehensive introduction to the field of astrophysics. The book covers a broad range of topics, including the physics of stars, galaxies, and the universe as a whole.
• “Astrophysics for People in a Hurry” by Neil deGrasse Tyson is a concise and informative book that introduces readers to the fundamental concepts of astrophysics in an accessible and engaging way. The book is divided into short chapters that are easy to digest, making it an ideal choice for busy readers who want to learn about astrophysics but don’t have the time to read a lengthy book.
• “Hyperspace” by Dr. Michio Kaku is a fascinating book that explores the concept of hyperspace, which is a theoretical higher-dimensional space that may exist beyond the three dimensions of space and one dimension of time that we experience in our everyday lives.The book provides a comprehensive overview of the history and evolution of the idea of hyperspace, from the early days of geometry and mathematics to the cutting-edge theories of modern physics.
• “A Very Short Introduction to Astrobiology” by David C. Catling is a concise and accessible book that provides an introduction to the field of astrobiology, which is the study of life in the universe.The book covers a range of topics, including the origin and evolution of life on Earth, the potential for life on other planets and moons in our solar system, and the search for extraterrestrial life beyond our solar system.