Scientists from Brown, NASA and the Smithsonian bring cosmic explorations to smartphones

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] - Gaze at the ethereal colors of distant nebulae. Zoom in to the heart of an exploded star. Listen to chimes, bells and electric rhythms representing a celestial object far off in space. Through new Instagram filters, users of the app can now embark on cosmic journeys through their smartphones with space-themed augmented reality experiences.

The filters are fun, for sure - but they're also grounded in some serious science. The experiences were created by researchers from Brown University, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and NASA to celebrate the 25th anniversary the Chandra spacecraft, NASA's flagship X-ray telescope. The goals are to engage the public, make images of space more accessible and add new layers of understanding to some of the most well-known and widely studied objects in the sky.

The project allows users to virtually interact with astronomical objects like Tycho supernova remnant, the Vela Pulsar, the Helix Nebula, the Cat's Eye Nebula and even the Chandra X-ray Observatory. The project uses data from the Chandra spacecraft and other telescopes for the interactive models, which users can zoom in and out of and make their backdrop for selfies. The imagery is also accompanied by informative text that explains what users are seeing, and data "sonifications" of the celestial objects, which translate the images into sounds.

"Seeing the Crab Nebula over your table is kind of ridiculous, but every time we show that one to somebody, they laugh, they smile, they want to learn more - that kind of engagement is really what this type of project is about," said Tom Sgouros, a research associate in Brown's Department of Computer Science. "You never know what spark is going to hit somebody. It's why I think people who do science have almost a responsibility to get their work out there and try to explain what's so cool about it."