asked in an otherworldly white glow, 15-year-old Robert Simpson takes a tour through the galaxies. With a click of the mouse in his Sheffield, England home, he surfs the Net, crosses the wide English moors, and touches the stars via a remote link to the Bradford Robotic Telescope. The only robotic telescope wired to the World Wide Web, Bradford provides a peek into the cosmos for more than 15,000 registered professional and amateur astronomers spread across 72 countries.

Located high on a hill in West Yorkshire, England, the 46-centimeter Bradford Telescope operates autonomously. Job requests are sent by email, and only when viewing conditions are optimum does it emerge from the observatory roof to fulfill its tasks. Robert, who learned of Net access to the telescope through a student project, says that his first foray into space was a trip. "The computer asked me if I wanted to post a job order, and I said, 'Yes.' Then the screen asked which galaxy I wanted to see and from what angle. I was like, 'Wow!'" A few days later when the telescope responded to his order, Robert had a photograph of Andromeda that he could download and share with others.

Russian astronomer Alexander Militsky uses the Bradford Robotic Telescope to study comet evolution. The Internet connection to the stars has allowed Alexander to complete his research. "There are many astronomers in Russia but only three or four telescopes. The best are located in the Asian republics and are closed to me now," says Militsky. He adds that his work can be as painstaking as "looking for a stone in the ocean." But thanks to the Bradford Telescope and the Internet, the vast cosmic ocean can be anybody's wading pool.