The transit of Venus is a rare astronomical event that has been well documented throughout history. The most recent transit occurred in June of 2004, and the one before that took place more than 100 years earlier in 1882. This site from the South African Astronomical Observatory provides information and first-hand observations of the 1882 event from Wellington, South Africa. Just prior to the event, an observatory was erected at the Huguenot Seminary for girls, and some of the historical observations made from that site in 1882 are provided here for your perusal.

This video adapted from the Valdez Museum & Historical Archive, explores what happened during the Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964 through original footage, first-person accounts, and animations illustrating plate tectonics.

This movie shows a total eclipse of the Sun which occurred in 1994. It is accompanied by a link to a written description of the Sun's physical characteristics.

This NASA page is an image set illustrating the 20g centrifuge at the Ames Research Center. The photographs include two of human subjects strapped in the place at one end of the centrifuge arm.

Students see firsthand that stars and constellations are not arranged in a flat, 2-D pattern in this Moveable Museum unit. The five-page PDF guide includes suggested general background readings for educators, activity notes, step-by-step directions, and a Big Dipper map. Students make their own 3-D models of the Big Dipper using readily available materials and examine their models, observing the 3-D constellation from new perspectives.

A 2-D map is a great guide here on Earth—and virtually worthless for finding your way around in outer space. Take a 3-D look at mapping our solar system and universe. This Moveable Museum article, available as a printable PDF file, looks at how astronomers use data to create 3-D models of the universe. Explore these concepts further using the recommended resources mentioned in this reading selection.

This tutorial explains some of the techniques developed by astronomers to determine the distances of objects we see in the sky. Links to additional information are embedded in the text.

This site presents graphic plots of solar wind and magnetic field data from the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft.

This Astronomy Picture of the Day shows a test in which a small satellite was tethered to the Space Shuttle in 1992. Numerous wide-ranging links provide further information.

This Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) image shows a laboratory test of the ion drive engine used to propel the Deep Space 1 exploratory probe across the solar system in 1998. The site includes a description of how the device works and provides links for related information.

This APOD page features the first confirmed image of an extrasolar planet orbiting a sun-like star. Text and numerous links provide additional information; one link goes to the press release of the confirmation.

This Astronomy Picture of the Day depicts the Himalayan mountain range in Nepal. The image was taken from the International Space Station. Links provide background information about Skylab, the Himalayas, and plate tectonics.

This Astronomy Picture of the Day shows the "dust flaps" that Apollo 17 astronauts jury-rigged on the lunar rover. The site describes the origin of lunar dust and provides links for further information.

The COSEE network promotes a better understanding of the key role the ocean plays in global environmental cycles and processes. COSEE activities highlight the contributions ocean-science researchers make to scientific knowledge in these important areas. Each COSEE represents one or more ocean science research institution, an informal science education organization, and at least one affiliate organization representing the formal education community.

Children learn how seasonal weather changes affect everything, from the behavior of animals to the way we dress and play.

This video segment adapted from First Light explains why the highest peak in the Pacific, Mauna Kea, is an ideal site for astronomical observations. Featured are new telescope technologies that allow astronomers to explore the universe in more depth.

This module introduces the concept of biological absorption, storage and distribution of chemicals.

This website provides instructions on how to find and download images directly from the WISE archive. Anyone with an internet connection now has free access to high-resolution infrared images from the WISE mission. These instructions explain how to get the images you want, without using complex terminology and options that may be difficult for the layperson to navigate.

In this video, an environmental technologist visits an abandoned coal mine in Kentucky to talk about how a remediation system (a series of settling ponds and treatment cells) is neutralizing the acid drainage flowing from the mine and keeping it from damaging a creek downstream.