Hands-On Universe: bringing astronomical explorations to the classroom

For the past three years, with support from the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy, Hands-On Universe (HOU) has developed and piloted an educational program that enables high school students to request their own observations from professional observatories. HOU students download CCD images to their classroom computers and use HOU's powerful image processing software to visualize and analyze their data. Over the next several years HOU will develop activities and tools for middle school students and informal education centers as well as implement HOU in regional high school networks across the nation.