Since 2008, undergraduate students from Leiden University have been visiting the Isaac Newton Telescope (INT) as part of their astronomy bachelor's degree programme. This programme gives students the opportunity to gain valuable experience in the field of observational astronomy. Through this programme they learn how to write a proposal, plan and execute their observations, and acquire the skills to analyse and present their findings.
In March of 2021, the Covid-19 pandemic made observing on-site impossible. Instead, students worked remotely in close collaboration with support astronomers working at the INT. Nine nights of observations were carried out in total by thirteen project groups. Each group chose their own subject, making full use of the capabilities of the INT with the Wide Field Camera (WFC).
The projects covered a wide range of subjects, from measuring the shape of Kuiper belt objects to detecting stars being ripped apart by black holes in so-called tidal disruption events. Some of the results obtained during the observations made on January 23-31, 2021 are highlighted below.