RECOLORING the UNIVERSE

Color, Astronomy and Coding

Using data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and other satellites on exploded stars, star-forming regions, and black holes, you'll learn basic coding. By following the video tutorials below, you will see just how integral coding is in the pursuit of learning about our Universe. It's an example of the exciting ways that computer science is both part of routine tasks in our every day lives and part of the exciting quest to explore the cosmos.

Launch the coding activity now or start with the resources below for background information, facilitator guides, video tutorials and student examples.

The Nuts and Bolts

Coloring the Universe: Part 1

Coloring the Universe: Part 2

Launch the Coding Activities

Grades 4-12 students with no prior coding experience can learn how to use computers to create images and understand astronomical data. Participants learn basic coding starting with familiar objects and simple concepts such as shape and color, graduating to astronomical objects. Following a scaffolded set of activities, and working with data from NASA orbiting telescopes on sources from exploded stars to star-forming regions, to galaxies, to black holes, participants can experience real world application of science, technology and even art.

Note: This activity can take from 40-75 minutes, depending on the total number of students, the length of time allotted per step, etc.

Lesson 1: Recoloring the Universe
Intro

Lesson 2: Recoloring the Universe
Intro 2

Lesson 3: Recolor
Create a color

Lesson 4: Scene
Explore filters and color-shifting

Lesson 5: Flowers
Mash up two images

Lesson 6: Supernova
Create a colored image of
an exploding star

Lesson 7: Starforming
Explore a deep six-wavelength
stack of astronomy images

Lesson 8: Review

Play these videos locally

Explore the Science

Supernova Remnant Kes 73 (Includes Podcast)

Kepler's Supernova Remnant (Includes Podcast)

Black Hole SN1979c

$Space Math @ NASA$
Related SpaceMath@NASA activities

Download this video (MP4)

Where do stars come from? A science expert (Jerrika Hinton) explains by hooking her hapless assistant (Wil Wheaton) up to a Thought Visualizer, a machine that allows anyone to see his thoughts. With Ed Wasser.

More Background & Resources

About light and the electromagnetic spectrum
-NASA's Universe of Learning
-Chandra's Learn About Light
-NASA Wavelength activities on light
-NASA tour of the electromagnetic spectrum

About the data
-Collecting Chandra data
-X-ray Images 101
-Adding color to Chandra data
-Working with FITS files

Student Examples

Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophisics
60 Garden Street,
Cambridge, MA 02138 USA

Author/Manager: Kimberly Arcand
Art Direction: Kristin DiVona
Web Developer: Khajag Mgrdichian

Acknowledgements: Recoloring the Universe with Pencil Code was created by volunteers David Bau (developer of Pencil Code and a Google employee at the time), August Muench (astronomer for the American Astronomical Society), Kim Arcand (visualization lead for NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory), and Sydney Pickens and Matthew Dawson (both computer science educators with Google CS First.). Further work has been developed with support from the Chandra X-ray Center, at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, in Cambridge, MA. Recoloring the Universe is also supported by NASA with funding under contract NAS8-03060.

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