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Point of View
The Chandra X-Ray Observatory, launched into orbit around the Earth in 1999, is
the largest and most sophisticated X-ray observatory ever constructed. It is the
third of NASA's three Great Observatories, along with the Compton Gamma Ray
Observatory and the Hubble Space Telescope.
One phenomenon scientists are studying with Chandra are supernovas. Supernova
explosions are among the hottest (most energetic) events in our universe, and
thus are intense sources of x-rays. Because x-rays are absorbed by our
atmosphere, X-ray information was not available until the development of
space-based instruments.
Your Task: Imagine you are the first astronomers to
see these X-ray images. Your task is to use the newly released images from
Chandra, along with the older images in the cooler radio, infrared, and visible
ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum to study a supernova. How can these
different points of view be combined to provide a rich picture of this
event?
To complete this task, you need to:
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Examine the 4 images (infrared, radio, X-ray, and visible light) of Cassiopeia A or the Crab
Nebula you have been given or accessed through the Internet at: http://chandra.harvard.edu.
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Organize your observations into chart(s) or map(s) that will allow you to
describe the phenomenon, contrasting as well as combining the information
from each image.
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Write conclusions about this supernova event. What do these images,
combined, tell you about what is happening? Assume the audience for your
remarks consists of a high school science class that you are visiting as a
famous guest speaker.
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