Course Details in 2026/27 Session

Module Title	LH Observatory Laboratory
School	Physics and Astronomy
Department	Physics & Astronomy
Module Code	04 27108
Module Lead	Dr Ben Gompertz & Dr Daniel Sebastian
Level	Honours Level
Credits	20
Semester	Semester 1
Pre-requisites	LI Observational Astronomy - (03 29882)
Co-requisites
Restrictions	None
Contact Hours	Lecture-8 hours Practical Classes and workshops-72 hours Guided independent study-120 hours Total: 200 hours
Exclusions
Description	Observatory Laboratory students progress through the full cycle of an observational astronomy project, mimicking the structure of such projects in the professional scientific research environment. Students collaborate in small teams to write an “observing proposal”, define the technical details of their observations, conduct observations at the University’s observatory, and analyse/interpret their data in the lab. Each student writes a report about their project independently. These elements are supported by introductory lectures, an “astronomical data analysis” activity, and a “peer review” process in which students discuss and rank the scientific merits of each other’s proposals at a student time allocation committee meeting. A variety of observing projects are presented and discussed with students in the introductory lectures. Students may also create a new project based on their own scientific interests. There is considerable opportunity for students to show initiative and obtain higher marks.
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module students should be able to: Write an observing proposal in response to a formal call for proposals; Plan astronomical observations to achieve a defined scientific goal; Critique the scientific merits of peers' proposals; Conduct observations, including both science and calibration data; Analyse astronomical data using a modern scripting language; Fit models to astronomical data and derive errors on model parameters; Interpret data and form statistically well-defined scientific conclusions; Identify the main caveats on their scientific results; Write a report following the style of the published research literature.
Assessment	27108-01 : LH Observatory Lab : Coursework (100%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	10% Observing proposal, 5% Student time allocation committee, 20% Astronomical data analysis, 40% Project report, 20% Lab notebook, 5% Effort
Other	None
Reading List