Teaching practical astronomy at a professional observatory

Abstract

In 1988 Southampton University established a new Programme of Study, Physicswith- Astronomy and it was felt to be essential to provide the students with detailed practical experience in observational astronomy. The obvious difficulties of scheduling and successfully executing observational work from the UK led to the establishment of an annual Field Trip to the Observatario del Teide at Izana in Tenerife, Spain. The course allows 12 second-year astronomy students to visit the observatory in Tenerife every Easter vacation for one week.