The new project, based on information from the Chandra X-ray Observatory and other telescopes, allows for the first time to navigate through the actual data of the remains of a destroyed star.
This is a three-dimensional virtual reality (VR) project with extended reality (AR), which helps to study the environment inside the fragments of supernova Cassiopeia A. These are the remains of a massive star that exploded more than 400 years ago.
Chandra X-ray Center (Cambridge and Massachusetts) and the Center for Computing and Visualization of Brown University took part in the design. The stars are too far away, but the project created helps experts and non-experts literally “walk” on supernova remnants.
VR is a computer technology that simulates a user's physical presence in a virtual environment. AR adds elements like test and audio to enhance the touch input experience. Chandra has been following Cassiopaea A many times since its launch in 1999. Each exposition has introduced new and weighty information into the information database, which is used for large-scale study of the object.
In 2009, the researchers decided to combine data from Chandra and ground-based telescopes to create a 3D digital model of Cassiopeia A - the first supernova remnant in history. In 2013, experts have made an imprint.
The analysis shows that the supernova remnant has two main components: a spherical component in the outer parts and a disk-shaped component in the inner region. Understanding the structure allows you to create the most accurate explosion model.
It is worth noting that the VR project is becoming available to a wide audience. In the future, will create a version for Google.
