By Alfred Fry

Do you wish that you knew more about the night sky?  Have you dreamed of taking a flight into space?

Villanova University now has online access to the Encyclopedia of Astronomy and Astrophysics , the most extensive and comprehensive reference work in the field.  Currently, the encyclopedia contains over 2,750 signed articles.  The encyclopedia frequently adds new articles or updates existing ones.  Editorial and advisory boards consisting of prominent astronomers and astrophysicists assure the high quality of this definitive reference source.

Although the primary audience for this encyclopedia is people with an academic or professional interest in astronomy or astrophysics, most of the articles do not require scientific expertise.  People with a casual interest in astronomy can browse broad subject categories like Galaxies, the Solar System or Space Missions, and can also find articles on Mayan Astronomy, the Star of Bethlehem, Art and Literature and the Vatican Observatory.

The encyclopedia also contains articles aimed squarely at amateur astronomers.  Beginners can get started with articles on Naked-Eye Astronomy and Binocular Astronomy.  More advanced amateurs can find many articles on equipment and techniques, such as Wide-Field Astrophotography, Observing Asteroids, Radio Astronomy for Amateurs and Amateur-Professional Collaboration in Astronomy.

Amateurs make significant contributions to astronomy research; for example, an Australian amateur astronomer discovered a spot on Jupiter that was consequently photographed by the Hubble telescope.