The hottest science questions of astronomy today
had their beginnings in Einstein’s revolutionary ideas about
space and time. Combining astronomical data with computer simulations
and a little bit of imagination, we are able to visualize a cosmos
that Einstein himself never thought possible.
General Resources
Featured black hole visualizations
Featured cosmology visualizations
Real Data visualizations
In
order to view some of the files presented on this page, you may need
to download new or updated multimedia software for your computer. Download
multimedia viewers here.
Immersive Dome Visualizations
Especially for planetariums,
these visualizations from the Space Telescope Science Institute, home
of NASA’s Hubble
Space Telescope, explore the cosmos in full-dome format.
http://hubblesource.stsci.edu/sources/video/dome/
Hubble Source
The Hubble Space Telescope has discovered
some of the best evidence to support and explore Einstein’s revolutionary
ideas about the universe. The scientists and educators at the Space
Telescope Science Institute have created a portfolio of products and
resources especially for museums, planetariums, and special venues.
http://hubblesource.stsci.edu/
Chandra X-ray Observatory
Animations and video clips about x-ray astronomy allow us to visualize
the processes at work in the hot, turbulent universe.
http://chandra.harvard.edu/resources/animations/
Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe
Media resources and
animations from the WMAP satellite explore the evidence for the Big Bang
model of the evolution of the universe.
http://wmap.gsfc.nasa.gov/m_or/mr_media2.html
Hubble News Center
The Hubble Space Telescope has been exploring
the universe for almost fifteen years. Videos, animations, and interviews
about black holes, cosmology, and more offer new perspectives on the
telescope’s remarkable
discoveries.
http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/releases/video_category/
Spitzer Space Telescope
The fourth of NASA’s Great
Observatories, the Spitzer Space Telescope is exploring the universe
in infrared light. This web site showcases videos and animations about
stars, galaxies, and much more.
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/mediaimages/video.shtml
European Space Agency
A video archive from the European
center for Space Telescope observations provides new views of the universe
and the objects in it.
http://www.spacetelescope.org/videos/index.html
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The
Universe Forum and our NASA partners are creating an annotated collection
of visual resources that explore the key questions “Inside Einstein’s
Universe.” Register
for our mailing list to find out when new annotations are posted.
‘Zoom in to a Black Hole’
Astronomers
now believe that giant black holes reside at the center of most, if not
all galaxies, including our own Milky Way. Learn more
‘Black Hole Animation’
A disk of hot gas is swirling around the black hole. Learn
more
Source: CXC, NASA
‘Matter Surfs on Ripples of
Space Time Around a Black Hole’
A
black hole is a region in space where gravitational forces are so great
that not even light can escape. Learn
more
‘Black Hole Extreme Exploration’
The animation takes us on an imaginary journey to a black hole. Learn
more
‘The Formation of a Black Hole’
Astronomers
have begun to unravel the mystery of one the most enigmatic astronomical
phenomena, known as ‘gamma-ray bursts’. Learn more
‘Animation of Centaurus A Arcs’
The black hole at the center of the galaxy Centaurus A is surrounded by dramatic
outbursts of radiation at many different wavelengths. Learn
more
Source: NASA, CXC
‘Feeding a Black Hole in the
Centaurus A Galaxy’
The Centaurus A galaxy is girdled by a wide, dark lane of dust. Learn
more
Source: STScI, NASA
‘Black Hole and Companion
Star’
Binary, or paired stars are very common in the galaxy. Learn
more
Source: XMM-Newton, NASA, ESA
‘Gravitational Lensing Illustration’
One
of the most important and amazing predictions of Einstein’s theory
was that mass distorts space. Learn more
Source: STScI, NASA
‘Colliding Black Holes’ (audio file)
Einstein's theory of gravity predicts that black holes can distort the
structure of space itself. Learn more
Source: MIT
Black Hole Merger Animation
This computer simulation shows the collision between two spiral galaxies and
the resulting merger of their central black holes. Learn
more
Source:
NASA/CXC
Active Galaxy Animation
This animation takes us close to the central engine of an active galaxy. Learn
more
Source: Cosmovision
Animation of a Giant Star Being Ripped Apart by
a Black Hole
If a star travels too close to a black hole, it can be torn apart by the extreme
tidal forces from the black hole. Learn
more
Source:
NASA/CXC
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The
Universe Forum and our NASA partners are creating an annotated collection
of visual resources that explore the key questions “Inside Einstein’s
Universe.” Register
for our mailing list to find out when new annotations are posted.
Fly Through the Universe
If we could fly across the universe in a matter of minutes, what
would we see? Learn
more
Ride through Time
COMING SOON! From the NASA-Smithsonian Universe Forum
‘Take a trip through space and time…’
In
the universe, looking out is looking back in time. Learn
more
‘See how the structure of the universe evolved…’
Using
a variety of telescopes looking at the sky in all wavelengths of light,
astronomers have constructed an understanding of how the structure of the
universe has changed with time. Learn
more
‘Hubble Ultra Deep Field 3-D
Fly-Thru’
Although images of the sky appear to be flat and two dimensional, the objects
in them are at a variety of distances from Earth. Learn
more
‘Zoom in to the Hubble Ultra
Deep Field’
Looking out from the surface of the Earth, many areas of the night sky
appear relatively dark and empty. Learn
more
‘GOODS
Galaxy Sequence’
We can think of the Hubble Space Telescope as a sort of time
machine. Learn
more
‘HUDF: High-Redshift Galaxy
Candidates’
Astronomers have amassed evidence that we live in a reionized or ‘refried’ universe. Learn
more
'Gravitational Lensing Illustration’
One of the most important and amazing predictions of Einstein’s
theory was that mass distorts space. Learn
more
Source: STScI, NASA
Cosmic Evolution
This animation illustrates a billion or more years of cosmic
evolution, from the hot Big Bang to the formation of galaxies and clusters
of galaxies. Learn
more
Source:
NASA/CXC
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Astronomical animations are more than just good-looking movies;
they are models of actual cosmic phenomena. By comparing actual observations
to computer simulations, astronomers can make predictions about how objects
in the universe behave and figure out why images taken with real telescopes
look the way they do. The animations presented below offer an exciting
glimpse into the scientific process of visualizing real data.
Stars at the Galactic Center
A giant black hole with the mass of two million Suns resides at the center of
our Milky Way galaxy. Learn
more
Source: MPE
Black Hole Flare Animation
The center of our galaxy is a very turbulent place. Learn
more
Animation of How Supermassive Black Holes Affect the Formation
of Massive Galaxies
Scientists now think that the center of almost every galaxy is home to a supermassive
black hole. Learn
more
Source: CXO, NASA
The Mice - Colliding Galaxies
In
spite of the vast distances between galaxies, gravity does cause them
to group together - and sometimes, even to collide or merge! Learn
more
Source: STScI, NASA
Galaxy Merger Simulation and Chandra Data
Galaxy collisions and mergers are a major factor in how galaxies change over
time. Learn
more
Source: CXO, NASA
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