Astrobiology - This section covers the relatively new field in astronomy - the possibility of life in our Solar System and the Universe. There is also information on some of the projects dealing with this - like SETI.

"Astronomy is the study of everything." Carl Sagan. Astronomy Online has been nominated for a Webby Award as one of the five best science websites for 2006. In addition to a Webby nomination, Thompson Scientific has included Astronomy Online in …

Harnessing your passion for space can significantly enhance your job applications in astronomy, astrophysics, or space exploration. Employers seek candidates with the required qualifications and genuine enthusiasm for their field.

New members of our Solar System are still being discovered. Of recent notoriety: Eris (previously known as 2003 UB 313). The determination of this being an official dwarf planet has been determined by the International Astronomical Union - now officially called Eris - the unofficial name of this body is Xena. The image above is the discovery image.

Upskill Regularly: Take advantage of online courses and workshops related to desired gigs. Many platforms offer free or low-cost resources that can enhance skills, making students more competitive.

Those looking to study astronomy as a career or are in it as a hobby have plenty of online resources at their disposal. Astronomy is the study of the universe, including all objects and phenomena happening in space.

Current Trends in Astronomy. In addition the the Current Events links on the left, there are plenty of other cool programs currently underway. In addition, some very exciting projects are just on the horizon.

Cover Image: Courtesy Russel S., Halls B., 2004, “Exploring Stars & The Milky Way - Supernovae”, Swinburne Astronomy Online. Figure 1: Adapted from Akgun T. R., “Shock Revival Through Neutrino Heating in Supernovae”, Department of Astronomy and Space Sciences – Cornell University.

Illustration by Astronomy Online Since the Milky Way is considered an "average" galaxy , much of what we learn can be directly applied to other galaxies . What we know about our galaxy:

A cloud has to be "just right" before it can host a future star system. For successful gravitational collapse of a cloud to form a proto-star (a star that has not yet initiated fusion), two criteria must be met: Jeans Mass; Jeans Length; These two criteria, discovered by James Jean in the 1940's, places restrictions on a collapsing cloud: