Science Briefing: The Art of Science: Data Visualizations in Astronomy
Location
Virtual
Contact Information
About Event
Please join us for this special edition of NASA’s Universe of Learning Science Briefings! We will hear about the artistry of scientific visualizations and how to move from data to images, illustrations, and models.
In this briefing, speakers will share content about Webb’s first images, 3D visualizations, and exoplanet illustrations. Joseph Depasquale will discuss the art and science behind the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope. Dr. Robert Hurt will present about science-based illustration for explaining astronomy. Jason Craig will share how to use NASA’s Eyes to visualize any exoplanet, planet, or mission. In addition to these perspectives, we will highlight several resources relating to this content.
About the Series
The NASA’s Universe of Learning Science Briefings are professional learning telecons for the informal science education community, done in partnership with the NASA’s Museum & Informal Education Alliance, now found on NASA CONNECTS. These monthly thematic briefings highlight current NASA astrophysics explorations and discoveries from across the suite of NASA astrophysics missions. NASA scientists and engineers provide contemporary science results, and are able to respond to listener questions during the telecon. NASA-developed education and outreach resources, matched to the monthly theme, are included in every briefing.
In order to participate in the telecon and ask questions of the scientists, please join NASA’s Museum & Informal Education Alliance.
Facilitator & Presenters
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Dr. Christopher Britt is an education and outreach scientist in the Office of Public Outreach at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI). He got his PhD in astronomy at Louisiana State University in 2013, followed by postdoctoral positions at Texas Tech University and Michigan State University, where he used ground- and space-based observatories to study accretion onto the compact remnants of dead stars. Dr. Britt has been a member of the Office of Public Outreach since 2018 where he works with the Hubble, JWST, and WFIRST communications teams, as well as with the broader NASA science education community, via NASA’s Universe of Learning, to deliver accurate cutting-edge science content to learners of all ages. -
Joseph Depasquale is the senior science visuals developer in the office of public outreach at the Space Telescope Science Institute. Joe’s work with data from the Hubble and Webb space telescopes straddles the line between art and science. He processes astronomical imagery into beautifully detailed and colorful views of our cosmos. Prior to joining STScI in 2017, Joe was the science imager for NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory where he worked for 16 years following his undergraduate training in astronomy and astrophysics at Villanova University. Joe has an extensive background in astronomy, art, and photography giving him a unique skill set well suited to the task of bringing raw observatory data to life in richly detailed imagery.
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Dr. Robert Hurt is is an astronomer and visualization scientist at IPAC, a science and data center for astronomy and planetary sciences at Caltech. He specializes in data visualization, science-based illustrations, and video in support of science communications for many NASA missions including Spitzer, WISE, GALEX, Kepler, and NuSTAR, as well as projects like LIGO and the Event Horizon Telescope.
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Jason Craig is a data visualization developer, producer, and technical manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. After helping to develop animation software in the private sector, Jason joined the solar system visualization team in 2005 and created CGI animations for missions such as MER, MRO, Juno, Mars Odyssey, Cassini, MSL, and NISAR. In 2015, he became the producer and technical manager of NASA’s Eyes software, winning multiple Webby awards, NASA’s Software of the Year Award, and two Emmy awards for JPL as part of the broadcast team for the Mars Insight landing, and also for the Cassini mission’s grand finale. NASA’s Eyes software is used in classrooms and museums across the United States, and is free and publicly available to the world for outreach and educational purposes.
Dr. Christopher Britt is an education and outreach scientist in the Office of Public Outreach at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI). He got his PhD in astronomy at Louisiana State University in 2013, followed by postdoctoral positions at Texas Tech University and Michigan State University, where he used ground- and space-based observatories to study accretion onto the compact remnants of dead stars. Dr. Britt has been a member of the Office of Public Outreach since 2018 where he works with the Hubble, JWST, and WFIRST communications teams, as well as with the broader NASA science education community, via NASA’s Universe of Learning, to deliver accurate cutting-edge science content to learners of all ages.
Joseph Depasquale is the senior science visuals developer in the office of public outreach at the Space Telescope Science Institute. Joe’s work with data from the Hubble and Webb space telescopes straddles the line between art and science. He processes astronomical imagery into beautifully detailed and colorful views of our cosmos. Prior to joining STScI in 2017, Joe was the science imager for NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory where he worked for 16 years following his undergraduate training in astronomy and astrophysics at Villanova University. Joe has an extensive background in astronomy, art, and photography giving him a unique skill set well suited to the task of bringing raw observatory data to life in richly detailed imagery.
Dr. Robert Hurt is is an astronomer and visualization scientist at IPAC, a science and data center for astronomy and planetary sciences at Caltech. He specializes in data visualization, science-based illustrations, and video in support of science communications for many NASA missions including Spitzer, WISE, GALEX, Kepler, and NuSTAR, as well as projects like LIGO and the Event Horizon Telescope.
Jason Craig is a data visualization developer, producer, and technical manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. After helping to develop animation software in the private sector, Jason joined the solar system visualization team in 2005 and created CGI animations for missions such as MER, MRO, Juno, Mars Odyssey, Cassini, MSL, and NISAR. In 2015, he became the producer and technical manager of NASA’s Eyes software, winning multiple Webby awards, NASA’s Software of the Year Award, and two Emmy awards for JPL as part of the broadcast team for the Mars Insight landing, and also for the Cassini mission’s grand finale. NASA’s Eyes software is used in classrooms and museums across the United States, and is free and publicly available to the world for outreach and educational purposes.Event Resources
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Slide Presentation PPT
34 MB -
Slide Presentation PDF
12 MB -
Resources PDF
268 KB