3.5: Wrapping It Up 3 - Light, Telescopes, and Astronomical Images
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- 30471
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In this chapter, you have learned about light and the many things astronomers can learn from it. For this activity, you will use your new knowledge to study images of an astronomical object of your choice in multiple wavelengths of light. Your job is to select an interesting object that has been imaged by telescopes in three different wavebands.
Select one object from the “Sample Astronomical Objects” list below that most interests you. Once you have chosen an object, you will need to visit three of the telescope webpages listed in the “Helpful websites” list and locate an image of your chosen object. Each page will have a search function that will allow you to locate what you need.
Before you begin the activity, take some time to reflect on what you have learned about light, color, and imaging. After studying the images you have chosen, answer the questions that follow.
Sample Astronomical Objects:
- Crab Nebula supernova remnant
- Cassiopeia A supernova remnant
- Center of Milky Way Galaxy (Sgr A)
- M101 (Pinwheel) galaxy
- M87 (Virgo A) galaxy
- M51 (Whirlpool) galaxy
- Perseus A cluster of galaxies
- Hydra A cluster of galaxies
Helpful websites:
- Hubble Space Telescope
- Chandra X-ray Telescope
- Spitzer Space Telescope
- Very Large Array radio telescope
- W. M. Keck Telescope
- Astronomy Picture of the Day
For each of the three images that you have chosen for your object, answer the following questions: