  We have designed a realistic simulation of astronomical observing using a
relatively low-cost commercial CCD camera and a microcontroller-based circuit
that drives LEDs inside a light-tight box with time-varying intensities. As
part of a laboratory experiment, students can acquire sequences of images using
the camera, and then perform data analysis using a language such as MATLAB or
Python to: (a) extract the intensity of the imaged LEDs, (b) perform basic
calibrations on the time-series data, and (c) convert their data into the
frequency domain where they can then identify the frequency structure. The
primary focus is on studying light curves produced by the pulsating white dwarf
stars. The exercise provides an introduction to CCD observing, a framework for
teaching concepts in numerical data analysis and Fourier techniques, and
connections with the physics of white dwarf stars.
