Learning Astronomy in Memphis

Astronomy is one of those things that may be more appealing to the very young and the very old. In a way, it's one of those "useless" areas of knowledge that probably won't lead to a new career or put any money in your pocket. It's just plain fascinating to learn about the stars and the constellations. After all, people used to steer ships by the movements of the stars across the heavens. They knew the difference between the winter and the summer skies. They could look up and fell connected to all that vastness by the stories behind the many constellations up there. The stars became real to them. Memphis has some good resources for learning about astronomy, the stars and constellations.

NASA has an interactive site just for kids. It's fun and a great resource for youngsters who have an interest in science and show some fascination with the stars.

http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx
This site is good for all the teaching tools and their email newsletter. All sorts of links on the stars will get you started. Twenty-four issues for 79.95 will bring phenomenal pictures, an interactive star dome to help locating stars every night, monthly pull-out star maps, and a zoomable star atlas to use with telescopes. This is a wonderful ongoing resource for kids and adults learning astronomy or those in local clubs.

http://www.memphisastro.org/
The Memphis Astrological Society should be a must-join for anyone in the area who is seriously interested in the subject. What do they do? Members are rarely professional astronomers. Comprised of mainly ordinary people, the membership meets monthly, discusses new discoveries or theories. Or they may trade ideas about telescopes, get together in groups to observe special phenomena in the sky, or any number of other activities. They even make their own telescopes. They meet at S153 of the Science Bldg. on the Christian Brothers University Campus on East Parkway at 8 p.m. the first Friday of each month. Consult the web site, however, because there are some exceptions for some months. The site has a very vital weather link with radar and satellite imagery. I include the phone number of one older member, but there are more contacts on the web site.
Memphis Astronomical Society
P.O. Box 11301
Memphis, TN 38111
(901) 382-2246 (Bill Busler, Long time Member)

http://astronomy.meetup.com/cities/us/tn/memphis/
There is also a meetup group for astromony in the city. People sign up for the meetup group they're interested in and get notice when others join that group. It's a simple form to fill out, and then you just wait to get announcements about others joining via email. After that people in the groups contact each other.

http://academics.memphis.edu/gened/GeneralEducationProg.htm
I would also suggest that people wanting to get basic science concepts that relate directly to astronomy take a basic physics course at the University of Memphis. The schedule for the Continuing Education Flyer should be coming out for the upcoming summer session. There are lots of fascinating courses available and they're not expensive. It's a great way to learn something that interests you and to meet others with those same interests. The quote from their site describes briefly the course work of the basic physics classes: "PHYS 1010 & 1001 - 1020 & 1002 Introduction to Physics and Astronomy: Physics and Astronomy for non-technical students; natural laws of motion, heat, light and heavenly bodies."

http://www.projectsandhobbies.com/howtolearnastronomy.htm
This resource will allow you to sign up for the express science news review. The site itself is a great basic resource that gives links for beginners--items like printable astronomy maps, guides, charts and the constellations. This is a good link to start with. From here, clicking on links will lead you to other resources and give you a great foundation. This site should be saved and used often by anyone wanting to learn about the heavens, start, our sun and moon, and about those pernicious comets and asteroids. Once you have access to some basic information and start receiving newsletters, you'll be able to join a Memphis Club or group or to even take some classes at one of our universities.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=learn+about+astronomy&btnG=Search