Whether you’re just starting out on finding your way beyond Earth, or, someone with a lifelong passion for exploring the heavens, you’ll find these 10 must visit websites about the universe invaluable in your quest for all the latest news, research, and discoveries in space. Enjoy!

1. Portal to the Universe

http://www.portaltotheuniverse.org

Your gateway to the Universe at large, it pulls in all kinds of information through a variety of formats to give a one-stop-shop for discovering what’s happening right now in space.

2. NASA

http://www.nasa.gov

A simply massive and immersive website for exploring space and keeping up to date with NASA missions. There are resources for educators, a children’s section and some of the most jaw-dropping and awesome pictures you’ll ever get to see!

3. Galaxy Zoo

http://www.galaxyzoo.org

The Galaxy Zoo files contain almost a quarter of a million galaxies which have been imaged with a camera attached to a robotic telescope (the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, no less). In order to understand how these galaxies — and our own — formed, we need your help to classify them according to their shapes — a task at which your brain is better than even the fastest computer.

More than 150,000 people have taken part in Galaxy Zoo so far, producing a wealth of valuable data and sending telescopes on Earth and in space chasing after their discoveries. Zoo 2 focuses on the nearest, brightest and most beautiful galaxies, so to begin exploring the Universe, click the ‘How To Take Part’ link above, or read ‘The Story So Far’ to find out what Galaxy Zoo has achieved to date.

4. Discover: Bad Astronomy

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy

Phil Plait, the creator of Bad Astronomy, is an astronomer, lecturer, and author. After ten years working on Hubble Space Telescope and six more working on astronomy education, he struck out on his own as a writer. He has written two books, dozens of magazine articles, and 12 bazillion blog articles. He is a skeptic, and fights misuses of science as well as praising the wonder of real science.

5. Popastro

http://www.popastro.com

With over 50years experience in sharing the wonders of the universe, The Society for Popular Astronomy is a brilliant website for new and old enthusiasts.

6. SETI@Home

http://setiathome.berkeley.edu

SETI@home is a scientific experiment that uses Internet-connected computers in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). You can participate by running a free program that downloads and analyzes radio telescope data.

7. Stellarium

http://www.stellarium.org

Stellarium is a free open source planetarium for your computer. It shows a realistic sky in 3D, just like what you see with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope.
It is being used in planetarium projectors. Just set your coordinates and go.

8. Star Walk

http://vitotechnology.com/star-walk.html

Whether you are Star Wars or Star Trek fans, astronomy beginners or amateurs discover stars, planets, constellations and more with Star Walk. The most amazing, high quality, dynamic and realistic stargazing guide on earth. It simply makes astronomy easy for everybody.
- Featured by Apple as - Best Apps of 2009

9. ESA - European Space Agency

http://www.esa.int

The European Space Agency, ESA, is catching up quickly in terms of its online presence with great up-to-the-minute news on missions, superb pictures, activities for educators and to try at home, careers information and much, much more!

10. Heavens Above

http://heavens-above.com

Discover what’s passing overhead from comets to planets, satellites such as the International Space Station (ISS) to space shuttles and rockets. Simply key in your location and it’ll predict what you’re likely to see – simple, but really exciting!

Looking for more websites about science on the web that you simply must visit?

Here are my Top 15 Science Websites

And if those websites have whet your appetite for science on the internet, here’s Another 10 Top Science Websites, to get your teeth into!