Control your OWN telescope using the
MicroObservatory Robotic Telescope Network

NASA's space science researchers control some of the world's most sophisticated space probes and orbiting telescopes to get amazing images of objects in space. Now YOU can join them by operating your OWN ground-based "MicroObservatories" — real robotic telescopes that you command through this website!

Top panel: Students controlling MicroObservatory Telescope;
a MicroObservatory telescope in Arizona;
image taken with MicroObservatory telescope.
Bottom panel: Scientists controlling Hubble Telescope,
the Hubble Telescope in orbit around Earth,
image taken with Hubble telescope

students controlling computer microObservatory telescope orion nebula image from MicroObservatory telescope
hubble telescope control room Hubble Telescope orion nebula image from Hubble

NASA's Astrophoto Challenges

The Winter 2025 challenge is currently delayed due to technical difficulties. We are making progress on addressing these, and should be launching soon. Please check back daily.

NASA's Astrophoto Challenges

Transit of Mercury

Make animations in JS9-4L of Mercury's 2016 and 2019 transit of the Sun. Its next transit isn't until 2032!

Transit of Mercury

Astro Chats

Explore the world of astronomy through a series of hangouts with experts from the Center for Astrophysics

History of Telescopes

Recent Image Directory

The Image Directory lists all MicroObservatory images taken over the last 30 days, plus an archive of past interesting images.

Recent Image Directory

YouthAstroNet

Join the YouthAstroNet community of students and educators using our MicroObservatory Robotic Telescope Network.

YouthAstroNet

Past Astrophoto Challenges

Want to work with past Astrophoto Challenges? You still can!

Find past NASA data in the Challenges Archive.

NASA's Astrophoto Challenges Archive