AstroScope (Stellarium Gornergrat)
The Stellarium Gornergrat is a remotely-piloted observatory station that offers teachers hands-on learning activities, from primary level to upper-secondary level.
Based on a Web interface, the project offers learning activities about astronomy. A set of telescopes are remotely piloted and allow for the capture of original images. Activities are meant to make students aware of the scientific approach, to illustrate some of their curricular topics with practical astronomy work, and to explain to them what it means to be an astronomer in the 21st century.
Basic information
The Gornergrat observatory station has one “all-sky” camera, a 250mm planetary telescope and a 600mm astrograph. This set makes it possible to have one instrument suitable for each type of celestial object. An “advanced user” mode also allows the use of the station for research projects.
Each proposed activity is made of different stage modules, each of them having specific documentation ready for teachers and students. Learning sequences are suggested in order to have a coherent approach to a given topic. The interface offers an optimised version for beginners as well as a customisable version for advanced users.