Project "Online Observatory"

The Erasmus+ project The Online Observatory: a collaborative portal for schools is an international educational initiative, in the creation of which the Institute of Astronomy of the University of Latvia was involved (2018-2020). Other partners were Brorfelde Observatory, Denmark; Harestua Solar Observatory, Norway; Helsinki Observatory, Finland; Faulkes Telescope Project, United Kingdom.

The aim of the project was to create an online platform (https://onlineobservatory.eu) that allows schools and educators to access astronomy resources, use remotely controlled telescopes and integrate astronomy topics into the teaching process. The target audience is students and teachers, who are offered interactive educational activities and tools for conducting sky observations online.
Educational materials were prepared on the following topics: sky observations; virtual visits to observatories; small bodies of the Solar System; young astronomers; the Moon; the Universe; the Sun and stars; planets and exoplanets. The Institute of Astronomy was mainly responsible for the development of the topic “Sun and stars”.

Imaged: Project working group visits Baldone Observatory