Astronomy 101 - Chasing UFOs... or was it?

So you love to watch the night sky but you aren't sure of what you are looking at. 

"Gee, I never noticed that star before.  Maybe it's a planet... or a UFO!"

Well, don't get your shorts bunched.  That flashing, twinkling, or even fixed light up in the night sky is most likely a star, or planet and not a UFO.

If you see a light in the sky that is just sitting there and you just don't know for sure, the best way to find out just what it is, is to look at a sky chart and see what is supposed to be there.

Once you learn to recognize the different planets and stars that are visible in your night sky in any given month, then it is much easier to determine if what your seeing is a known celestial body, or an unidentified object (UFO, UAP, etc.).

Stars and planets often get misidentified as unidentified flying objects (UFOs), or unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs).

To help you better sort through all the clutter of stars, planets, constellations and whatnot, I've compiled a list of helpful (and recommended by me) Astronomy Websites.  And for your convenience, I have the same sites listed on the sidebar of this website.  Enjoy!

Oh, and if that star, planet, meteor, or constellation turns out to be something you and the charts can't explain, I want to know about it! - Sunny

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Recommended Astronomy Websites

Amazing Space-Tonight's Sky
http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/tonights_sky/
   
Astronomy Online Magazine
http://www.astronomy.com/
   
Bad Astronomy
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/
   
Catching the Light- Learn Astrophotography
http://www.astropix.com/INDEX.HTM
   
Clear Sky Chart
http://www.cleardarksky.com/csk/
   
EarthSky
http://earthsky.org/
   
Heavens Above
http://www.heavens-above.com/
   
HubbleSite
http://hubblesite.org/explore_astronomy/tonights_sky/
   
JPL/NASA Mars Exploration Rovers
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/
   
JPL/NASA- Cassini Solstice Mission
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm
   
NASA Earth Observatory
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/
   
NASA Skyview Virtual Observatory
http://skyview.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/titlepage.pl
   
Sky and Telescope
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/
   
Stardate Online
http://stardate.org/
   
StarryNight Education- Sky Chart
http://www.starrynighteducation.com/skychart/
   
Texas Astronomical Society of Dallas
http://www.texasastro.org/

The Constellations
http://www.dibonsmith.com/menu.htm
   
The Night Sky in the World
http://www.inquinamentoluminoso.it/dmsp/
   
U.S. Naval Astronomy
http://www.usno.navy.mil/astronomy

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Note: If you have a favorite astronomy site,  let me know and I will be happy to add it to the list. -SW
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