Take control of a 2-metre telescope used by professional astronomers! A live observing session gives you 30-minute access to a robotic telescope in Hawaii or Australia. You'll be the only person using the telescope during this time. You will watch as your observations are taken in real time.
Don't worry if you have limited or no experience of live observing. Our online guide will help you. It explains how to use the Real-Time Interface. This is the webpage which lets you interact with the telescope. We also have a list of targets you may want to observe. We suggest these objects because of their size (to fit the camera's frame of view) and location in the sky.
The images you take will be processed within a few minutes. You can view them during your session and download them for future analysis. Our imaging software can help with this. It was designed for schools and is easy to use.
Live Observing brings real-world science to your students, giving them hands-on experience with scientists' tools and methods. It's an inspiring way to bring classroom learning to life and connect students with the broader world of scientific discovery.
Please note that Live Observing can only be booked by Educators registered with us. Our aim is for sessions to be used with whole classes of students (pre-university age), which gives as many young people as possible a chance to experience this. If you are a keen student, let your teacher know about this opportunity!
If you have an Explorer account but regularly work with groups of students, you can contact us to discuss potential access to Live Observing.
Because these sessions take place in real time, they can be affected by conditions at the observatory site. Factors like the weather and telescope maintenance might mean your session cannot happen.
You can find up-to-date information about each site here. You can also check the weather for Australia and Hawaii.