Important Links (software, charts, information, etc)

[Marnault]

Cartes du Ciel - Free planetarium software
http://www.stargazing.net/astropc (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/www.stargazing.net/astropc)

Clear Sky Chart - Accurate (most of the time) weather forecast for astronomers
http://cleardarksky.com/csk/

Cloudy Nights - Pretty much everything you wanted to know about astronomy
http://www.cloudynights.com (http://www.cloudynights.com/)

Heavens-Above - Satellite predictions for your area along with other info
http://www.heavens-above.com/

RegiStax - Free stacking program - stacks multiple short exposures works best on planets and the moon
http://www.astronomie.be/registax/

DeepSky Stacker - Another stacking program, I find this one better for deep space shots
http://deepskystacker.free.fr/english/index.html



Feel free to add other sites you think are important aids for astrophotography, or even astronomy in general.

[Oneslowz28]

Virtual Moon Atlas - Free program with charts and high res images of the surface of the moon. Take the time and download the "pro" version. The images are worth it.
http://www.ap-i.net/avl/en/start

Space dot com - Large news site packed full of the happenings and news involving space, nasa, and other astronomy related things.
http://www.space.com

The Hubble telescope site. Packed full of images and information from the Hubble space telescope.
http://www.hubblesite.org

[Oneslowz28]

I noticed that you called # 2 on your list a "clear sky chart" The correct name for it is a "clear sky clock"
I have my own personal one.
http://cleardarksky.com/csk/getcsk.php?id=GntObSC (http://cleardarksky.com/c/GntObSCkey.html)

[Marnault]

Oneslowz28: If you look at the top of the picture you posted it clearly says "The C. Gannt Observatory Clear Sky Chart." :lol:

[Oneslowz28]

I did not notice that. Mr. Danco has changed it in the last 2 years. The little icon that pops up by the url in the nav bar still reads clear sky clock. My apologies tho for calling you out and being wrong. I owe ya a beer.

[ahobden]

Human Space Flight - NASA site giving details of sighting opportunities for ISS / Shuttle flypasts. Timings are absolutely accurate.
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/

[le_R]

Iris - Free astronomical images processing software
http://www.astrosurf.com/buil/us/iris/iris.htm

Stellarium - Free (and open source) planetarium software.
http://www.stellarium.org/