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in partnership with the Dill Faulkes Educational Trust

 

Scientists use special computer programs to explore space.

These programs help them control telescopes, take images, and plan observations.

One important use of this software is to study images of space collected by telescopes. These images are saved in a special file format called FITS. FITS files contain large amounts of information. Much of this data cannot be seen with our eyes alone.

With the right software, scientists can reveal these hidden details.

Image
An image of a star cluster against a black background. Small dots of stars are mostly concentrated in the centre, many of them white in colour but some of them having a blue hue to them. Further out from the middle, a few more stars are scattered around, but they are fewer in number and seem more reddish compared to the others.
Credit
This work by The Schools' Observatory is licensed under All rights reserved
A star cluster image taken by the Liverpool Telescope and analysed by our software

Some astronomy programs can seem difficult to use.

To help with this, the Schools’ Observatory has created tools that are easy for anyone to try. These tools are free to use and include guides to help you get started.

Using them, you can explore images taken by the Liverpool Telescope and by other telescopes around the world.

Why not start exploring the universe today? There is still so much to discover.