If you’ve been a user of The Schools’ Observatory for a while, you’ll know we’ve been working very hard on a new piece of software for viewing your observations.

We are thrilled to announce that the wait is over! Introducing AstroLab, our latest online software that can efficiently open and analyse FITS files directly in your browser. You can analyse data from any telescope worldwide, not just the Liverpool Telescope. And it's available to you for free!

AstroLab was created with the belief that data should be accessible to everyone, without barriers or complications. We know that some schools struggled to use LTImage, so we created AstroLab to be simpler and smarter. All you need is an internet connection, and you are good to go!

Now, when your visit "Your Observations", you have the option to directly open your image into AstroLab without downloading files or installing any software. We've created two versions of AstroLab to cater to people's different needs: Nova, which is ideal for Primary Schools and those new to astronomy, and Stellar, which is perfect for Secondary Schools and more advanced users. The version you see depends on your account settings. You can learn more about AstroLab on our website.

We will continue to add and improve the tools and features available within AstroLab (a future release of AstroLab will be able to produce 3-colour images). But don't worry if you prefer LTImage - it is still available for those who want it. You can find useful information on our View Your Images pages to decide which software is best for you. They also contain useful guides and instructional videos on how to use AstroLab.

If you have any feedback or queries about AstroLab, please get in touch by emailing SchoolsObs@ljmu.ac.uk.