Pillars of Gas in M16

Let's start at the top. The Universe is a very big place. The movements and interactions between galaxies and their spawn fundamentally affect our existence more than one might imagine. And now, for the first time in our history, the layperson can access the latest and greatest discoveries in this field more easily than they can fetch a glass of water. I present:

Alien Art's Astronomy Links

Currently, the featured site is the Current Solar Images Page at SDAC. This site shows current images of the Sun updated daily.
You might think that the Sun doesn't change much. It shines every day pretty much the same. Well, a lot of action takes place there. It is a very dynamic pulsing entity. At left is the latest image of the Sun from the Yohkoh Soft X-Ray telescope. This image shows what's going on in the Sun's atmosphere, where temperatures are much hotter than the surface. The surface is black (cooler) and particles in the atmosphere are heated so hot that they emit radiation in the X-Ray band.
Yonokoh soft x-ray image
Extreme Ultraviolet

At left is the latest image from the Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Telescope imaging excited Iron atoms. Click on either image at left to go to the Solar Data Analysis Page at the Goddard Space Center. There, you will find additional current images of the Sun at different wavelengths, along with larger images. News just announced that huge rivers of plasma have been found beneath the Sun's surface.

Other Astronomy Links
Astronomy Picture of the Day A new photo every day. This site shows the latest and greatest images with an explanation by a professional Astronomer. If you're interested in Astronomy, check this one every day.
Latest Hubble Images The latest space images as they are released from the most important research instrument of our time! No other telescope matches the Hubble for revealing the beauty and artistry of the known universe.
WebStars: Astronomy Resources on the WWW Another site put together by the Goddard Space Center folks. It lists high-quality sites on various topics. This site is a treasure trove of Astronomical Information
Sky and Telescope's Weekly News Bulletin This site will give you a quick look at current events in the world of Observational Astronomy.