This illustration shows the Westerlund 2 image and the 3D tactile print derived from the Hubble Space Telescope data.
The tactile print was provided by the 3D Astronomy Project at STScI which makes star cluster and galaxy imagery available in 3D tactile representations outfitted with textures to distinguish specific features in the celestial object. The 3D prints are produced through an innovative process [Christian et al. 2015, Grice et al. 2015] for the star clusters Westerlund 2 [Zeidler 2015], NGC 602 and others as well as several LEGUS galaxies.
The purpose is to stimulate an understanding of and interest in astronomical phenomena for any person, but especially persons with blindness or visual impairment (B/VI) and individuals who are tactile learners. 3D Astronomy does address the need for assistive materials for individuals with B/VI in particular. 3D prints of Hubble astronomical data are produced using the research analysis of the observations and transforming the science data into 3D prints.
Image intensity is used as a surrogate for the mass distribution and textures are used to distinguish various features in the astronomical objects. Customarily, in visualization images, intensity and colors are used to highlight the astrophysics and so intensity and color are transformed into print "elevation" and colors into textures.
For a star cluster such as Westerlund 2, a "2.5 D" image is produced considering that much of a star cluster's central region can be tenuous gas, which is difficult to print, as structure holding the stars in place are difficult to interpret for visually impaired individuals. Print files in STL format from 3D Astronomy are released periodically.
Credits
NASA, ESA, and C. Christian, A. Nota, and collaborators (STScI)| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | Westerlund 2 |
| Object Description | Star cluster |
| Constellation | Carina |
| Distance | The distance to Westerlund 2 is 20,000 light-years. |
| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | A name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object. |
| Object Description | The type of astronomical object. |
| R.A. Position | Right ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position. |
| Dec. Position | Declination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position. |
| Constellation | One of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears. |
| Distance | The physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs. |
| Dimensions | The physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky. |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description |
|
| Instrument | The science instrument used to produce the data. |
| Exposure Dates | The date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time. |
| Filters | The camera filters that were used in the science observations. |
| About The Image | |
| Image Credit | The primary individuals and institutions responsible for the content. |
| Publication Date | The date and time the release content became public. |
| Color Info | A brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented. |
| Orientation | The rotation of the image on the sky with respect to the north pole of the celestial sphere. |
