Lunar Links & References

Know of a website that we should share with everyone? To recommend a website or to report a broken link, please e-mail us.

Astronomy Reference:

Astronomiae Historia/History of Astronomy -- Biographies and reference links for notable astronomers throughout history, plus the evolution of astronomical science and famous observatories, courtesy of the Astronomische Institute der Universität Bonn.

Dublin Night Sky Observer -- A splendid resource filled with vital information on the origin of the Moon, along with comprehensive information on astronomy, space photography and lunar and planetary geography.

MoonTool -- Free (and fast) download. Great desktop app that calculates and displays current lunar phase. Indispensable tool, highly recommended by the Lunar Republic staff.

Lunar Private Enterprise, News and Education:

The American Lunar Society -- ALS conducts several important educational programs, including one directed toward grade-school students, to encourage a wider appreciation and understanding of Luna.

Lunar Architecture -- The current state of technology enables us to build on the moon; the main problem is transporting materials to the moon. Solutions and strategies on the vital subjects of lunar facilities design and construction are discussed in detail on this website.

The Lunar Stock Exchange -- pioneering extraterrestrial securities market and a leader in the campaign for Moon colonization and space tourism, offering an opportunity to invest in the future of Luna.

The Space Frontier Foundation -- A public-private consortium dedicated to establishing and developing commercial enterprise on the Moon.

SpaceProjects.com -- A bilingual, international directory of nearly everything space-related, including constructive reform proposals by former NASA personnel, focused on making space access far more affordable.

Lunar Research, Photographs & Maps:

The Full Moon Atlas -- A comprehensive series of regional lunar maps, based on the Consolidated Lunar Atlas and incorporating a proprietary "flag" system to identify more than 2500 geographic features on the Moon. Developed in conjunction with the Lunar Republic. Limited edition available online, with a more detailed version available on CD-ROM.

Clementine Lunar Image Browser -- The extraordinary lunar imaging project, conducted as a joint venture of the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), along with the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), produced some of the finest images ever of the Moon.

Lunar Sections -- One of the finest online photographic references, melding excellent lunar surface photographs from NASA and amateur astronomers into a sectional directory of the Moon, keyed to the essential "Atlas of the Moon" by Antonín Rükl.

Molecular Expressions: The Moon Rock Collection -- Dazzling series of photo-micrograph (optical microscope) images of lunar soil and rocks brought back from the Apollo missions, presented by the Optical Microscopy Division of the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, a joint venture of Florida State University, the University of Florida and the Los Alamos National Laboratory. (While visiting the site, take a moment to enjoy "Powers Of Ten.")

News & Information:

Universe Today -- Fraser Cain rounds up top-flight space news, information and more from his vast network of sources from around the world. Also daily news updates via e-mail delivered directly to your desktop.

Space Agencies:

ESA (European Space Agency).

NASA (United States).

NASDA (Japan; Japanese-language site. For the same site in English, please click here.)

Rosaviakosmos (Russia).

Space Law:

International Institute of Space Law -- Primary liaison for  international organizations and national institutions in the field of space law, fostering the development of space law and studies of legal and social science aspects of the exploration and use of outer space.

International Institute of Air and Space Law -- Generally considered a leading authority on space law, the Leiden University-based Institute includes some of the finest legal minds in the world, including Frans von der Dunk.

United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs -- The primary international forum for the development of laws and principles governing outer space.

Lunar Settlement Initiative -- Providing an open-source legal framework for organizations that offer land claims on the Moon in order to finance private and/or commercial Lunar settlement and development projects.