Imagine opening Instagram and embarking on a journey through space using your cell phone! A new project offers almost that, delivering incredible 3D experiences with data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes through augmented reality (AR).
This project is a celebration of 25 years of operations at Chandra, one of the North American space agency's main X-ray telescopes.
In recent years, NASA has created filters on Instagram that allow you to virtually explore the International Space Station, the Perseverance rover on Mars, and other space projects. Now, a new set of filters is dedicated to Chandra, adding a fascinating dimension to this collection.
“We are excited to bring data from the Universe to Earth in this way,” said Kimberly Arcand, visualization scientist at the Chandra X-ray Center, in a statement. “With AR, Chandra’s incredible discoveries are literally at people’s fingertips.”
Augmented reality and sonification help take us to space
These new Instagram experiences are built from 3D models based on telescope data and mathematical models. Traditionally, it has been difficult to capture 3D data from objects in our galaxy due to their two-dimensional projection onto the sky. However, new instruments and techniques have allowed astronomers to build more accurate three-dimensional models of these distant objects.
Captured 2D views of cosmic objects included in the new 3D augmented reality version. Featuring multi-wavelength images of the Vela Pulsar, Tycho Supernova Remnant, Helix Nebula and Cat's Eye Nebula. Credits: Vela Pulsar: X-Ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optics: NASA/ESA/STScI; Image processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Schmidt, K. Arcand; Tycho Supernova Remnant: X-Ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optics: SAD; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/N. Wolk; Helix Nebula: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; UV: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSC; Optics: NASA/STScI/M. Meixner, Dean of ESA/NRAO/TA; Infrared: NASA/JPL-Caltech/K. Su; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/N. Wolk and K. Arcand; Cat's Eye Nebula: X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optics: NASA/ESA/STScI; Image Processing: NASA/CXC/SAO/J. Major, L. Frattare, K. Arcand
The evolution of astronomy goes hand in hand with the growth of virtual, extended and augmented reality technologies. These technologies provide digital experiences that transport us beyond Earth and into the cosmos. This new set of Chandra experiments on Instagram was made possible by a collaboration between NASA, the Smithsonian Institution, and students and researchers at Brown University.
The experiments also include “sonifications” of data from celestial objects. Sonification translates data into sounds and notes, allowing users to “hear” representations of the data. This is an accessibility initiative that the Chandra team has been leading for four years.
“These Instagram experiments are another way to share this cosmic data with the public,” Arcand said. “We hope to reach new audiences, especially those who enjoy obtaining information through social media.”
Objects in the new Instagram Experience Collection include the Tycho supernova remnant, the Vela Pulsar, the Helix Nebula, the Cat's Eye Nebula, and the Chandra spacecraft.
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Effects on Instagram are free
The 3D models of the first three objects were created in collaboration with Sal Orlando, an astrophysicist at the National Institute of Astrophysics in Italy. The Cat's Eye Nebula was developed with data from Ryan Clairmont, a researcher and student at Stanford University.
Arcand worked with Brown's Tom Sgouros and his team, including research assistant Alexander Dupuis and graduate student Healey Koch, on the Chandra Instagram filters.
The experiences come with explanatory texts and the effects are free, available on Instagram for at least six months, with some remaining permanently visible on the Smithsonian's Voyager 3D website.
“There is a lot of rich, beautiful data in these models that Healey and I wanted to bring to life, which we did by creating textures on the models and programming visual effects to display them in AR,” explained Dupuis.
The next time you open Instagram, you might find yourself traveling through the cosmos, exploring the mysteries of the universe right from your phone. It's science and technology coming together to bring space to you!
