In this article, the author describes a student-centered research project he introduced to his students. In this research project, his students used images collected by telescopes at Kitt Peak National Optical Observatory (KPNO) to look for novas in the Andromeda Galaxy. This project grew out of the author's experience during a Teachers As Leaders in Research-Based Science Education (TLRBSE) workshop held in summer 2002 at the University of Arizona and KPNO. This research project allowed his students to develop research ideas for investigating collected data. (Contains 5 figures.)