Astronomy GCSE Coursework!!

I have an idea but not really started any writing up yet! Done a couple of drawings and took boys of weather and angle! Gonna think I'm going to have to take photos in if I carnt get the right phase on a clear night!

I've done Astronomy GCSE last year and got an A. The coursework is really hard, and so are the exams, it is by far the hardest gcse I have ever done, and I had to do the whole thing in a year with only 1 lesson every week.

What I did for my coursework is drew the moon at new moon, crescent moon, half moon, three quarter moon and full moon, then three quarter moon, half moon and crescent moon from a big detailed picture on the net.

Each drawing was big and detailed on seperate pieces of A4 paper. The I added dates and times that matched with the moon calender, and added weather conditions and my location. Then I added about 12 pages of typed up work and diagrams explaining why we see the moon change through different phases and why it had its surface features such as craters.

My second piece was a huge A2 diagram of the moon drawn on tracing paper, and I labelled apollo landings and names of all the different major crates, although you will need a big detailed and illustrated diagram of the moon and a lot of time to complete this.

Most of my friends did the same, although some took many photographs of the moon instead of drawing it at different stages, and got similar marks.

The top two projects I mentioned are probably the easiest on selection. I tried to do the meteor shower project but it proved near impossible when each meteor from the Perseid meteor shower last year (which made a show again some weeks ago) lasted 0.5 seconds.

Feel free to PM for more help.

has anyone got a good picture of the moon? high quality, with the phases

I drew mine! Couldn't find one online

It's just that the Moon is way too high up in the sky for me to point my telescope to do observations.

What telescope are you using?

A zennox (brand) refractor

I have a celestron 130eq I have no problem!

I'm going to wait until the moon comes lower down.
After that, I'll get some pics from the internet and friends

Does the mount not angle vertical?

The telescope can go to about 60-70 degrees to the mount, but it is really awkward for viewing, as I then need to bend down to view it.

Also, the telescope is a bit stiff, and becomes even harder to position objects when they are fairly high in the sky.

I see. Hope you manage to get a good picture

I'm doing mine throughout Mid-late February and early March, either after school, or in the morning.

How did the coursework write up go?

I'm not sure. I've finished all of them now, which is a relief, but I just hope I did enough. I did about 3-4 pages of writing for all of them, and I did a few drawings and pictures for some of them too. I'd be happy with 30/40 (75%) overall for my coursework, but I think I may end up with 60%. Either way, I suppose I can make it up in the exam.

What about you? How do you think you did/are doing?

What did you do yours on?

Want an A over all! Been getting A* on my assignments so fingers crossed

A4 and B11 (Unaided Constellations and Aided Messier and NGC Objects). I used NASA's online robotic telescopes for the pictures, as it was easier, and I got better quality images.


Well done! I'd be happy with an A but an A* would be great!

Was that for the constellations!! I've done my aided one. But it's been really over cast carnt see a bloody thing! What sort of stuff did you write about for the constellations?

What did you do yours on?

I did my first one last Friday I did 2 drawings of the moon one at waxing and first quarter I did about 3 pages of write up I think! I do my other one this Friday! Not sure what I'm doing yet 😁 Possible the unaided constellations! Want an A over all! Been getting A* on my assignments so fingers crossed