Light Detectives

Students use real NASA data to complete an investigation.

In this activity, students use real NASA data to complete an investigation via the same basic methods that astronomers use. Students download data directly from NASA’s WISE mission. They then make measurements of those images with the image processing software SalsaJ, and eventually plot and analyze those measurements to find a brown dwarf. In the Going Further section, they follow the same process to find an Ultra-luminous Infrared Galaxy, or ULIRG, and then verify it by finding relevant images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. The teacher engages and guides students along with the help of a slide show and discussion points. There are questions at the end of each section that the students can answer and turn in to be graded. Note: The current version is a draft that is in field testing.

Light Detectives Teachers Guide (pdf)
Light Detectives Student Guide (pdf)
Light Detectives Presentation (pptx)
Light Detectives Data Sheets (xlsx)