WITH an unusual amount of clear weather this spring, I found myself star-gazing more than usual. It reminded me of a kayak trip I once took. One of the others brought a piece of paper with the night's star line-up printed off the Internet for that specific night. We were able to look through the holes in the A4 and see just which stars were where. It inspired me to look down into the black hole which is the World Wide Web and see what light it could shine on the skies above.

For Starry News and Space News updates, and a great looking site, visit http://www.space.com It's Tech Wednesday feature entitled What's Shakin' was about a satellite being launched that would help monitor, and hopefully predict, earthquakes. Other stories caught one's eye: The dying stars in the Tarantula Nebula, Mystery of the Sun's two north poles, and the latest NASA research on the Columbia disaster. There's a lot going on in space that needs technology to help us keep up with it.

http://dynamics.org/Altenberg/PROJECTS/STARRY_NIGHTS/ - Although last year's news, this section is dedicated to a group fighting light pollution on a Hawaiian island to save the night sky views. It is worth a look especially if you want to start a light pollution cause of your own.

A number of sister sites also popped up including http://www.georgewright.org/184duriscoe.pdf There's definitely enough online to show you the way to get started.

If you want to use your computer to enjoy night sky views, visit http://www.parktrust.org/parklandnews/articles/DarkNightSkies.htm for some breathtaking night sky views. Perhaps the most spectacular was the night view of earth showing how much of our planet is lit up when we could be enjoying the reverse view. Definitely check this one out it would make an excellent learning tool. This site is courtesy of The National Park Trust of America.

The skies have always brought out explorers, but entrepreneurs? At http://www.skydrops.com you can rent sky images -if this is all a bit hazy, visit the site.

The night sky options offered some breathtaking views. If you want something closer to home, IKEA stores sell a huge satellite view of earth wall poster then you can have a permanent view.

Now, if you want a book to help you alongvisit Harper Collins at http://www.fireandwater.com for their Night Sky guide book. It caught my eye in the bookstore.

Of course, the fun thing about searching the Net, like staring at the night sky, is you just never know what might pop up. In this case the site http://www.celestialskies.co.uk/ showed its face. By its name I thought I was in heaven, but I was pleasantly surprised to find out it was a gift shop that had opened in Corfe Castle, Dorset, near the Fox Inn. But it did offer an eye-pleasing web site. It is dedicated to area night images, not digitally enhanced, by astrophotographer Mark Gaston. The gallery includes pictures taken during the Eclipse in 2001. Take a peak.

One of the most spectacular night sky views is, of course, the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights as they are called. Visit http://www.wildlifehebrides.com/safari/chronicles/ for wonderful images.

Site of the week: For a fantastic news about the skies and space visit http://www.SpaceWeather.com It was so current as to offer aurora borealis alerts for northern Europe, Canada, the US and New Zealand for April. It included a fantastic photograph of an Alaskan Northern Nights scene complete with a shooting star. It is images for the imagination. You can also get asteroid hazard warnings and geomagnetic storm outlooks. There's enough information to take you well into the night. Enjoy!

May 1, 2003 10:30