ds9 analysis software

Images taken by telescopes that observe at the "invisible" wavelengths are sometimes called "false color images." That is because the colors used to make them are not "real" but are chosen to bring out important details such as the intensity or brightness of the radiation from different regions of the image, or the energy of the emission.

Chandra X-ray images of Cassiopeia A

Hubble image of the Crab Nebula(visible light)

Hubble image of the Crab Nebula(visible light)

Chandra image of the Crab Nebula(x-rays)

ds9 software allows students to view Chandra images and analyze REAL data sets.

Chandra records information about the energy, position and time of arrival of x-ray photons from the source.

Collision! A compression wave, caused by a smaller galaxy as it plows through, lights up the rim of the Cartwheel galaxy!

Brightest x-ray sources are most likely black holes!

View visible & x-ray images side-by-side in ds9

OBS ID 2019

+++ =

soft x-rays medium x-rays hard x-rays

Make energy cuts in ds9 with Chandra data to show only certain energy photons. Combine the images in Photoshop to produce a 3-color image like those in the Chandra Press Releases.

Physics – rotational motion and Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation - Is it a white dwarf or a neutron star? Chemistry – spectroscopy and the origin of the elements - What

elements are present in a supernova remnant? Earth Science – a searchable data base allows all sorts of

astronomical objects to be viewed and analyzed (stars, planets, supernova remnant, galaxies), study coordinate systems & contour maps Science fair – with access to thousands of Chandra data sets,

students can design their own investigations (ex. Can supernovae be classified as Type Ia or Type II from spectral data?)