The Liverpool Telescope is one of the largest robotic telescopes in the world. It was designed and built by astronomers at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU). It is still managed by the team at LJMU. A robotic telescope is designed to run without the need for anyone to be on site. Each night the telescope begins to observe the sky on its own. It uses instructions sent to it during the day from the UK.

The Liverpool Telescope can be found on the island of La Palma. This is one of the Canary Islands off the west coast of Africa. The site has good weather and dark nights. It sits atop an extinct volcano giving it height above the cloud layer. This all gives the perfect setting for a robotic telescope.

Some facts about the telescope:

• Observatory location: La Palma, Canary Isles
• Height above sea level: 2,344 metres (7,690 feet)
• Weight of the telescope: 24.0 metric tonnes
• Mirror diameter: 2.0 metres
• Coordinates:
  Latitude: 28° 45' 44.8" North;
  Longitude: 17° 52' 45.2" West