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"Choosing a telescope for a child should take all of those aspects in to consideration, and a few more things. A child's telescope should be easy and uncomplicated to use. An overly complicated telescope just won't be as much fun. Compact size is important. A smaller child is not going to enjoy using an enormous telescope. Durability is a necessity for kids' telescopes; lots of small, fragile pieces can easily get lost or broken. Fortunately, there are plenty of telescopes perfect for young astronomers."

"In January 2004, NASA announced it was canceling a mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. In light of dangers associated with the Columbia tragedy the previous year, it was considered too risky. As a result, the Hubble, lauded as one of the most influential scientific instruments of all time, would have only a few remaining years to survive. Over the following months, the plan was intensely debated. Petitions garnered thousands of signatures from members of the public. Congressional committee meetings and hearings were held. Citizens and scientists alike, inspired by the discoveries and images the telescope had produced, clearly weren't ready for the telescope's premature retirement. By that point, the Hubble had nearly fulfilled all its mission objectives since its launch in 1990. With 100,000 observations, it had measured the universe's expansion, studied planetary origins, and produced a vast trove of pictures like the iconic Deep Field (seen at the top of this piece) and Pillars of Creation, which changed the way we see our place in the universe. These images, taken for science and re-mastered by astronomers, captured the public's imagination in a way no telescope had before. "

"Today's Best Educational Apps for Kids list is Natual and Animal Science Apps for Kindergarden and Early Elementary School Kids (age 6 to 10). There is another list of science apps for this age group but on other subjects, such as astronomy, physics, or chemistry. For this other science list, you can visit an earlier post HERE. Please add your favorite nature and animal science apps in the comment area. I will update the list periodically. I"

"The iPad has found its way into hospitals, retail stores and homes across the nation, but it's also making a big splash in the classroom, even with some of the best online colleges. With a great selection of apps focused on everything from word processing to keeping in touch with classmates, the tablet computer can be an invaluable tool for learning - no matter your age. Online science students haven't been left out, of course, and there are a wide range of applications offering help with chemistry, biology, astronomy and even the math that comes along with certain fields. If you're a college student looking to supplement your science studies, these apps are some of the best for learning, sharing, researching and just plain having fun."

"Remember how you felt when you first looked at the night sky through a telescope? All those stars, those distant planets - celestial bodies that form poetry in the blackness of deep space. A little help from technology can let you rediscover that child-like joy. Now, there are already programs like Stellarium to learn about the night sky from your computer. But we're going to be looking at sites and apps that accompany real-life star-gazers who need to know what to look at up above, and when to head out of town to capture breath-taking vistas."

"The discovery of gravitational waves that was announced a few weeks ago substantiated Albert Einstein's oracular ideas about black holes.The importance of such a discovery in scientists' eyes is that it will help shed light on many enigmatic issues about the genesis of the universe. Your students might have heard about this scientific breakthrough and though they might probably not fully understand the full concept of gravitational waves and Einstein's general relativity but their desire to learn more about space and its workings might be revived. Students can actually learn a great deal about space using iPad apps. There is a wide variety of excellent apps created specifically to help students and even young learners explore the workings of space and understand some of its topics. Below is a collection of some examples of NASA apps  students can use to learn more about space:"

"Google Sky is one of my favorite Android apps, but unfortunately it is not available for iPads so I set out find an alternative to Google Sky to use on my iPad. I found three that I think are worth noting. All three of these apps use your location (enable location based services in your iPad's settings) to help you identify the stars and planets viewable from where you are standing with your iPad."