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Tour: Travel Through Data From Space in New 3D Instagram Experiences
(Credit: NASA/CXC/A. Hobart)
[Runtime: 02:31]
With closed-captions (at YouTube)
A new project provides special 3D “experiences” on Instagram using data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes through augmented reality, allowing users to travel virtually through objects in space. These new experiences of astronomical objects — including the debris fields of exploded stars — are being released to help celebrate the 25th anniversary of operations from Chandra, NASA’s flagship X-ray telescope.
In recent years, Instagram experiences — previously referred to as filters — of NASA mission control, the International Space Station, and the Perseverance Rover on Mars have allowed users to virtually explore what NASA does. This new set of Chandra Instagram filters joins this space-themed collection.
The new Instagram experiences are created from 3D models based on data collected by Chandra and other telescopes along with mathematical models. Traditionally, it has been very difficult to gather 3D data of objects in space due to their two-dimensional projection on the sky. New instruments and techniques, however, have allowed astronomers in recent years to construct data-driven models of what these distant objects look like in three dimensions.
These advancements in astronomy have paralleled the explosion of opportunities in virtual, extended, and augmented reality. Such technologies provide virtual digital experiences, which now extend beyond Earth and into the cosmos.
This new set of Chandra Instagram filters was made possible by a collaboration including NASA, the Smithsonian Institution, as well as students and researchers at Brown University.
Setting this Chandra set apart from other Instagram experiences, they will include an option to also listen to sonifications of data of the same object. Sonification is the process of translating data into sounds and notes, instead of colors as is typically done in communicating astronomical data. This is a project that Chandra has led on behalf of NASA.
(Credit: NASA/CXC/A. Hobart)
[Runtime: 02:31]
With closed-captions (at YouTube)
A new project provides special 3D “experiences” on Instagram using data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes through augmented reality, allowing users to travel virtually through objects in space. These new experiences of astronomical objects — including the debris fields of exploded stars — are being released to help celebrate the 25th anniversary of operations from Chandra, NASA’s flagship X-ray telescope.
In recent years, Instagram experiences — previously referred to as filters — of NASA mission control, the International Space Station, and the Perseverance Rover on Mars have allowed users to virtually explore what NASA does. This new set of Chandra Instagram filters joins this space-themed collection.
The new Instagram experiences are created from 3D models based on data collected by Chandra and other telescopes along with mathematical models. Traditionally, it has been very difficult to gather 3D data of objects in space due to their two-dimensional projection on the sky. New instruments and techniques, however, have allowed astronomers in recent years to construct data-driven models of what these distant objects look like in three dimensions.
These advancements in astronomy have paralleled the explosion of opportunities in virtual, extended, and augmented reality. Such technologies provide virtual digital experiences, which now extend beyond Earth and into the cosmos.
This new set of Chandra Instagram filters was made possible by a collaboration including NASA, the Smithsonian Institution, as well as students and researchers at Brown University.
Setting this Chandra set apart from other Instagram experiences, they will include an option to also listen to sonifications of data of the same object. Sonification is the process of translating data into sounds and notes, instead of colors as is typically done in communicating astronomical data. This is a project that Chandra has led on behalf of NASA.
Download this video (MP4)
Quick Look: Travel Through Data From Space in New 3D Instagram Experiences
(Credit: NASA/CXC/A. Hobart)
[Runtime: 00:45]
With narration (video above with voiceover)
New 3D “experiences” on Instagram let you travel through objects in space.
They were made using data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes.
These Chandra Instagram experiences use augmented reality to share information.
In a first for Instagram experiences, the set also includes sonifications of these data.
(Credit: NASA/CXC/A. Hobart)
[Runtime: 00:45]
With narration (video above with voiceover)
New 3D “experiences” on Instagram let you travel through objects in space.
They were made using data from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes.
These Chandra Instagram experiences use augmented reality to share information.
In a first for Instagram experiences, the set also includes sonifications of these data.
Download this video (MP4)
Demo Video: Chandra Spacecraft
(Video Credit: Smithsonian/NASA/SAO/CXC; Sonification: NASA/CXC/SAO/K.Arcand, SYSTEM Sounds (M. Russo, A. Santaguida))
[Runtime: 00:10]
This is an example video featuring the Chandra Spacecraft 3D Experience.
New interactive 3D experiences using models of celestial objects generated from data collected by the Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes have been released. Through augmented reality, users can view and immerse themselves in nebulae, exploded stars and more through their phone cameras while listening to the data transformed into sound—or data sonifications. The experiences include text that explains what users are looking at. The effects are free and available on Instagram for at least six months, and some will remain viewable in perpetuity on the Smithsonian’s Voyager 3D website.
(Video Credit: Smithsonian/NASA/SAO/CXC; Sonification: NASA/CXC/SAO/K.Arcand, SYSTEM Sounds (M. Russo, A. Santaguida))
[Runtime: 00:10]
This is an example video featuring the Chandra Spacecraft 3D Experience.
New interactive 3D experiences using models of celestial objects generated from data collected by the Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes have been released. Through augmented reality, users can view and immerse themselves in nebulae, exploded stars and more through their phone cameras while listening to the data transformed into sound—or data sonifications. The experiences include text that explains what users are looking at. The effects are free and available on Instagram for at least six months, and some will remain viewable in perpetuity on the Smithsonian’s Voyager 3D website.
Download this video (MP4)
Demo Video: Vela Pulsar Effect
(Video Credit: Smithsonian/NASA/SAO/CXC; Sonification: NASA/CXC/SAO/K.Arcand, SYSTEM Sounds (M. Russo, A. Santaguida))
[Runtime: 00:08]
This is an example video featuring the Vela Pulsar 3D Experience.
New interactive 3D experiences using models of celestial objects generated from data collected by the Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes have been released. Through augmented reality, users can view and immerse themselves in nebulae, exploded stars and more through their phone cameras while listening to the data transformed into sound—or data sonifications. The experiences include text that explains what users are looking at. The effects are free and available on Instagram for at least six months, and some will remain viewable in perpetuity on the Smithsonian’s Voyager 3D website.
(Video Credit: Smithsonian/NASA/SAO/CXC; Sonification: NASA/CXC/SAO/K.Arcand, SYSTEM Sounds (M. Russo, A. Santaguida))
[Runtime: 00:08]
This is an example video featuring the Vela Pulsar 3D Experience.
New interactive 3D experiences using models of celestial objects generated from data collected by the Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes have been released. Through augmented reality, users can view and immerse themselves in nebulae, exploded stars and more through their phone cameras while listening to the data transformed into sound—or data sonifications. The experiences include text that explains what users are looking at. The effects are free and available on Instagram for at least six months, and some will remain viewable in perpetuity on the Smithsonian’s Voyager 3D website.
Download this video (MP4)
Demo Video: Vela Pulsar Selfie Effect
(Video Credit: Smithsonian/NASA/SAO/CXC; Sonification: NASA/CXC/SAO/K.Arcand, SYSTEM Sounds (M. Russo, A. Santaguida))
[Runtime: 00:05]
This is an example video featuring the Vela Pulsar 3D Selfie Experience.
New interactive 3D experiences using models of celestial objects generated from data collected by the Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes have been released. Through augmented reality, users can view and immerse themselves in nebulae, exploded stars and more through their phone cameras while listening to the data transformed into sound—or data sonifications. The experiences include text that explains what users are looking at. The effects are free and available on Instagram for at least six months, and some will remain viewable in perpetuity on the Smithsonian’s Voyager 3D website.
(Video Credit: Smithsonian/NASA/SAO/CXC; Sonification: NASA/CXC/SAO/K.Arcand, SYSTEM Sounds (M. Russo, A. Santaguida))
[Runtime: 00:05]
This is an example video featuring the Vela Pulsar 3D Selfie Experience.
New interactive 3D experiences using models of celestial objects generated from data collected by the Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes have been released. Through augmented reality, users can view and immerse themselves in nebulae, exploded stars and more through their phone cameras while listening to the data transformed into sound—or data sonifications. The experiences include text that explains what users are looking at. The effects are free and available on Instagram for at least six months, and some will remain viewable in perpetuity on the Smithsonian’s Voyager 3D website.
Download this video (MP4)
Demo Video: Tycho's Supernova Remnant Effect
(Video Credit: Smithsonian/NASA/SAO/CXC; Sonification: NASA/CXC/SAO/K.Arcand, SYSTEM Sounds (M. Russo, A. Santaguida))
[Runtime: 00:21]
This is an example video featuring the Tycho's Supernova Remnant 3D Experience.
New interactive 3D experiences using models of celestial objects generated from data collected by the Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes have been released. Through augmented reality, users can view and immerse themselves in nebulae, exploded stars and more through their phone cameras while listening to the data transformed into sound—or data sonifications. The experiences include text that explains what users are looking at. The effects are free and available on Instagram for at least six months, and some will remain viewable in perpetuity on the Smithsonian’s Voyager 3D website.
(Video Credit: Smithsonian/NASA/SAO/CXC; Sonification: NASA/CXC/SAO/K.Arcand, SYSTEM Sounds (M. Russo, A. Santaguida))
[Runtime: 00:21]
This is an example video featuring the Tycho's Supernova Remnant 3D Experience.
New interactive 3D experiences using models of celestial objects generated from data collected by the Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes have been released. Through augmented reality, users can view and immerse themselves in nebulae, exploded stars and more through their phone cameras while listening to the data transformed into sound—or data sonifications. The experiences include text that explains what users are looking at. The effects are free and available on Instagram for at least six months, and some will remain viewable in perpetuity on the Smithsonian’s Voyager 3D website.
Download this video (MP4)
Demo Video: Tycho's Supernova Remnant Selfie Effect
(Video Credit: Smithsonian/NASA/SAO/CXC; Sonification: NASA/CXC/SAO/K.Arcand, SYSTEM Sounds (M. Russo, A. Santaguida))
[Runtime: 00:04]
This is an example video featuring the Tycho's Supernova Remnant Selfie 3D Experience.
New interactive 3D experiences using models of celestial objects generated from data collected by the Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes have been released. Through augmented reality, users can view and immerse themselves in nebulae, exploded stars and more through their phone cameras while listening to the data transformed into sound—or data sonifications. The experiences include text that explains what users are looking at. The effects are free and available on Instagram for at least six months, and some will remain viewable in perpetuity on the Smithsonian’s Voyager 3D website.
(Video Credit: Smithsonian/NASA/SAO/CXC; Sonification: NASA/CXC/SAO/K.Arcand, SYSTEM Sounds (M. Russo, A. Santaguida))
[Runtime: 00:04]
This is an example video featuring the Tycho's Supernova Remnant Selfie 3D Experience.
New interactive 3D experiences using models of celestial objects generated from data collected by the Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes have been released. Through augmented reality, users can view and immerse themselves in nebulae, exploded stars and more through their phone cameras while listening to the data transformed into sound—or data sonifications. The experiences include text that explains what users are looking at. The effects are free and available on Instagram for at least six months, and some will remain viewable in perpetuity on the Smithsonian’s Voyager 3D website.
Download this video (MP4)
Demo Video: Helix Nebula Effect
(Video Credit: Smithsonian/NASA/SAO/CXC; Sonification: NASA/CXC/SAO/K.Arcand, SYSTEM Sounds (M. Russo, A. Santaguida))
[Runtime: 00:11]
This is an example video featuring the Helix Nebula 3D Experience.
New interactive 3D experiences using models of celestial objects generated from data collected by the Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes have been released. Through augmented reality, users can view and immerse themselves in nebulae, exploded stars and more through their phone cameras while listening to the data transformed into sound—or data sonifications. The experiences include text that explains what users are looking at. The effects are free and available on Instagram for at least six months, and some will remain viewable in perpetuity on the Smithsonian’s Voyager 3D website.
(Video Credit: Smithsonian/NASA/SAO/CXC; Sonification: NASA/CXC/SAO/K.Arcand, SYSTEM Sounds (M. Russo, A. Santaguida))
[Runtime: 00:11]
This is an example video featuring the Helix Nebula 3D Experience.
New interactive 3D experiences using models of celestial objects generated from data collected by the Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes have been released. Through augmented reality, users can view and immerse themselves in nebulae, exploded stars and more through their phone cameras while listening to the data transformed into sound—or data sonifications. The experiences include text that explains what users are looking at. The effects are free and available on Instagram for at least six months, and some will remain viewable in perpetuity on the Smithsonian’s Voyager 3D website.
Download this video (MP4)
Demo Video: Cat's Eye Nebula Selfie Effect
(Video Credit: Smithsonian/NASA/SAO/CXC; Sonification: NASA/CXC/SAO/K.Arcand, SYSTEM Sounds (M. Russo, A. Santaguida))
[Runtime: 00:09]
This is an example video featuring the Cat's Eye Nebula Selfie 3D Experience.
New interactive 3D experiences using models of celestial objects generated from data collected by the Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes have been released. Through augmented reality, users can view and immerse themselves in nebulae, exploded stars and more through their phone cameras while listening to the data transformed into sound—or data sonifications. The experiences include text that explains what users are looking at. The effects are free and available on Instagram for at least six months, and some will remain viewable in perpetuity on the Smithsonian’s Voyager 3D website.
(Video Credit: Smithsonian/NASA/SAO/CXC; Sonification: NASA/CXC/SAO/K.Arcand, SYSTEM Sounds (M. Russo, A. Santaguida))
[Runtime: 00:09]
This is an example video featuring the Cat's Eye Nebula Selfie 3D Experience.
New interactive 3D experiences using models of celestial objects generated from data collected by the Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes have been released. Through augmented reality, users can view and immerse themselves in nebulae, exploded stars and more through their phone cameras while listening to the data transformed into sound—or data sonifications. The experiences include text that explains what users are looking at. The effects are free and available on Instagram for at least six months, and some will remain viewable in perpetuity on the Smithsonian’s Voyager 3D website.
Return to: Travel Through Data From Space in New 3D Instagram Experiences (April 18, 2024)
Revised: April 18, 2024