This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project to be carried out by Boston Engineering Service takes advantage of falling costs and increasing performance of small computer-assisted telescopes and charged coupled diode (CCD) cameras to achieve a new, lower cost design that is optimized for student learning and affordable for all schools. Such a system of telescope and camera, combined with user friendly, interactive software that acts as an "intelligent tutor" in showing how to use the equipment and do projects, can allow high school students to perform projects of genuine scientific discovery, previously only attempted by adults with scientific training. Such projects include Johnson-Morgan standard (UBVRI) photometry of variable stars and the discovery and tracking of asteroids. The research objective is to arrive at a suitable telescope/camera design and an effective software user interface to meet cost objectives and student needs. The research consists of extensive experimentation by a software developer and instrument designer with a group of high school students using a prototype of such a telescope/camera system on a set of astronomy projects. This project offers students the opportunity to participate in scientific discovery and to become knowledgeable about the latest technology. Potential commercial applications are a marketable educational instrument for secondary, middle and elementary schools, for universities, and the amateur astronomy and public education audiences.
