It is now possible to use the Liverpool Telescope for the internal assessed coursework (Unit 2) of the GCSE Astronomy course. The National Schools' Observatory has been in close consultation with Edexcel to ensure that the projects we develop for this section of the website can be used in a way that is suitable for the GCSE Astronomy Unit 2 tasks.

The use of robotic telescopes is both acceptable and encouraged by Edexcel.  An increasing amount of professional astronomy is now carried out using robotic telescopes that do not have an observer or operator at the actual telescope site. This change in the GCSE Astronomy reflects the change in the professional world of astronomy.

Before starting the GCSE activities, you may want to download or investigate the following resources:

Teacher Notes : MS Word Format or PDF Format Student Helpsheet: MS Word Format or PDF Format

External Reference: Edxcel GCSE Astronomy Web Pages

Once you have read the above guidance, you can investigate the following GCSE practical tasks:

B1 - Lunar Features

B5 - Telescopic Drawings or Photographs of a Celestial Event (in development)

B9 -  Light Curve of a Variable Star (in development)

B10 - Measuring Stellar Density (in development)

B11 - Drawings of Messier/NGC Objects