Reframing astronomical observation as inference under measurement constraints: Integrating interferometry and quantum sensing in the laboratory

Abstract School astronomy often frames observation as telescope-mediated seeing, whereas contemporary astronomy relies on phase-sensitive correlation, noise-limited signal extraction and model-based inference. We present a modular laboratory sequence for introductory optics and modern-physics laboratories that reframes observation as inference under measurement constraints through engineering-oriented tasks: (i) Michelson and Mach-Zehnder interferometry (alignment, stabilisation, fringe loss and recovery), (ii) polarisation investigations emphasising configuration-dependent information, and (iii) nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centre optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) for magnetic-field inference via spectral features. The stations can be implemented as qualitative "make-it-work" measurement systems or extended to quantitative analysis (e.g. fringe visibility metrics, Jones/Stokes modelling, Lorentzian fitting with uncertainty propagation). In a pilot implementation with a bridging cohort (single-group pre-post design; N=66, matched n=59), scores on the 16-item Astronomical Measurement Limits Survey (AMLS) increased from M=3.98 (SD=0.47) to M=4.41 (SD=0.46), consistent with a large within-group effect (d z ≈ 1.0). Performance on four aligned concept items increased from a mean proportion correct of 0.62 (SD=0.28) to 0.78 (SD=0.25). Given the absence of a comparison group and immediate post-testing, findings are interpreted as formative evidence of short-term shifts toward measurement-limited reasoning rather than as causal estimates. Instructor notes, assessment materials and analysis code are provided to support replication and further evaluation.