A new NASA project allows Instagram users to experience the wonders of the universe seen by the Chandra X-ray Observatory and other space telescopes. It’s an augmented reality (AR) filter called the “Instagram experience” that takes stunningly beautiful celestial objects and places them right next to you on camera.
This includes stellar debris destroyed in massive supernova explosions and dense clouds of cosmic gas and dust from which stars are actively formed. The AR filter was added to Instagram to help celebrate the 25th anniversary of NASA’s flagship X-ray space telescope, Chandra, which launched on July 23, 1999.
To use the Instagram Chandra experience, search for the account “NASAChandraXray.” Select the effect options (the tab that looks like three four-pointed stars) and choose the one you want. You can then save the effect to your camera and apply it to your stories, or select the “Try” button for instant access.
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“We are excited to bring data from the universe to Earth in this way,” Kimberly Arcand, visualization and emerging technology scientist at the Chandra X-ray Center, said in a statement. “Giving people access to cosmic data on their phones and through AR literally puts Chandra’s amazing discoveries at their fingertips.”
Which celestial objects can you bring down to Earth?
The Instagram experience was created using 3D models created from Chandra data and observations from other telescopes. Some mathematical modeling was also required to bring these cosmic muses into focus.
This type of 3D modeling of objects, typically seen as 2D projections on Earth’s celestial sphere, has only become possible in recent years thanks to new tools and techniques. This has led to an explosion in the complexity of data-driven 3D models of distant celestial objects.
As this technology evolves rapidly, the opportunities offered to the public through virtual, extended and augmented reality have also increased. This program takes these experiences beyond the solar system. It applies this innovative concept to the depths of the universe.
We won’t spoil all the celestial objects you can experience with this new NASA program. You’ll want to discover it for yourself. But to get started, we will offer you a few objects.
The Vela pulsar appears as a pair of striking purple arcs with a faint bar running through their centers. When you capture this object and drag it 1000 light years away from where it is located, you will actually see a neutron star formed as a result of the collapse of a massive star.
Although this neutron star is only about 20 kilometers across, it has a mass about twice that of the Sun. In other words, the substance it contains is so dense that a tablespoon brought to Earth weighs over 1 billion tons. That’s heavier than Mount Everest.
The Vela pulsar spins so fast that it completes 11 rotations per second. This means the helicopter is spinning faster than its wings. And as it does so, it launches jets from the poles at approximately 70% of the speed of light. These rays create a sweep across the universe nearly a light-year long.
The birth of a neutron star, such as the heart of the Vela pulsar, is accompanied by a massive cosmic explosion called a supernova, which tears apart a massive star as the star’s core collapses.
NASA’s new Instagram experience gives users the chance to discover one of the most striking examples of such stellar deaths.
Tycho’s supernova remnant, also known as SN 1572 or B Cassiopeiae (B Cas), is the name given to supernova debris located 8,000 to 10,000 light-years from Earth. First detected in 1572, this supernova was named after Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe, one of its discoverers. This is believed to be a Type Ia supernova, which is slightly different from the explosions that represent the birth of a neutron star.
Type Ia supernovae occur when stellar remnants called white dwarfs drag material from a companion star. This material accumulates on the white dwarf until it triggers a nuclear explosion that completely destroys the stellar remnant.
The Instagram experience also includes the remains of another dead star. This is found in the form of the Helix Nebula, an expanding cloud of stellar material located about 650 light-years away in the constellation Aquarius.
The Helix Nebula is an example of a planetary nebula (which, confusingly, has nothing to do with planets), an expanding shell of gas and dust that was once the outer layers of a dying star. At the center of this material, marked as a purple blob in the Chandra image, is a stellar nucleus throwing a tantrum.
The Cat’s Eye Nebula is also a planetary nebula, but it is located 3,262 light-years from Earth in the constellation Draco. This planetary nebula can be seen in exquisite detail, revealing twisted spirals of dust and gas and expanding shells that were once stellar material.
But it’s not all about the visuals in this NASA Instagram experience. The program also includes cosmic data converted into sound through a process called “sonification.” This was made possible as part of the Chandra accessibility program, which has been operating for the last four years.
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This isn’t the first time NASA has collaborated with Instagram to create a space-based experience. Users of the social media platform have previously been able to explore the inner workings of NASA mission control, travel to low Earth orbit aboard the International Space Station (ISS), and roll around Mars aboard the Perseverance rover.
“These Chandra Instagram experiences are another way to share this cosmic data with the public,” Arcand said. “We hope this will help reach new audiences, especially those who like to get their information through social media.”