Where can I find a list of when I can see something in the sky?

Question

My son is very keen on Astronomy but I don't know when there are meteor showers or something else that would be worth going out to the country to see. Last year we went to see a meteor shower, but I only knew about it because I'd heard it on the radio.

Which websites list events that we can either see with the naked eye, or with a decent pair of binoculars? (He doesn't have a telescope because the advice I found on the web was that decent binoculars are better than cheap telescopes.)

Answer 1

There are several magazines and websites for the amateur astronomer that include calendars of astronomical events and viewing charts, etc.

You might want to start at Sea and Sky's Astronomy Calendar of Celestial Events for Calendar Year 2012 or Sky and Telescope's This Week's Sky at a Glance.

Answer 2

Google has a good useable interface for this type of information, it can be found here. If You own or have access to a cell phone with Android capabilities you could try installing "Google Sky Map"

Answer 3

I have been compiling a file every month of current events in the sky for Starry Night software. This appears as a sidebar every month in the Starry Night Times: http://www.starrynighteducation.com/resources_newsletter.html

I've also put it in a blog: http://starrynightskyevents.blogspot.com/