Join NASA's Universe of Learning for an exciting opportunity to use real astronomical data and tools to create your own beautiful images of M87. This galaxy may be most famous for containing something we can't technically "see" - a supermassive black hole, whose event horizon was imaged by the Event Horizon Telescope several years ago.
There are two challenges you can take on on your quest to create your own beautiful image of M87. You can capture your own real-time telescope image of M87 using the MicroObservatory robotic telescope network. You can also choose to work with an archived set of NASA data files of M87 in multiple wavelengths, taken by three of NASA's space telescope missions - Hubble, Chandra, Spitzer - along with the NRAO's ground-based Very Large Array (VLA)! This video explains more about the process for working with the Challenges.
There are two challenges you can take on on your quest to create your own beautiful image of M87. You can capture your own real-time telescope image of M87 using the MicroObservatory robotic telescope network. You can also choose to work with an archived set of NASA data files of M87 in multiple wavelengths, taken by three of NASA's space telescope missions - Hubble, Chandra, Spitzer - along with the NRAO's ground-based Very Large Array (VLA)! This video explains more about the process for working with the Challenges.
Capture and process your own images with the MicroObservatory robotic telescope network. Credit: SAO
The NASA’s Astrophoto Challenges provide learners of all familiarity levels authentic experiences using NASA Astrophysics data. Participants in the challenges engage in the scientific practices of a scientist through the data tools and experiences in creating and sharing their composite images.
Participants working with NASA data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Credit: Image courtesy of SAO/Timothy Smith Network
The NASA’s Astrophoto Challenges include instructions on how to turn the data into beautiful composite images with a simple and free web-based image processing tool used by professional astronomers. The JS9 image processing tool is widely used by the astronomical community to process and analyze the data from the world’s premiere research telescopes. NASA’s Astrophoto Challenges uses a version of this tool, JS9-4L, developed for life-long learners with a range of experiences using data.
Create your own composite image with the JS9-4L image processing tool.
Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/CfA/W. Forman et al.; Radio: NRAO/AUI/NSF/W. Cotton; Optical: NASA/ESA/Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), and R. Gendler. Source
Participants are encouraged to view the NASA press-release versions of M87 hosted via a dedicated page on AstroPix. By comparing and contrasting their own creations with the press-release versions, participants in the challenge gain an understanding of the variety of ways a scientist can use image processing to enhance specific features within an image.
Compare and contrast your image with those from official NASA press-releases, hosted on AstroPix. Credit: NASA’s Universe of Learning
The challenges also feature short videos by professional astronomers. These subject matter experts provide science content knowledge of the electromagnetic spectrum and M87. Submit your creations to the challenges and they may be highlighted as standout entries commented on by NASA experts.
Enter the challenges here: https://mo-www.cfa.harvard.edu/OWN/astrophoto. The challenge is open through August 16, 2021
You can also learn more about other opportunities to discover the universe for yourselves at NASA's Universe of Learning: https://www.universe-of-learning.org/
- Brandon Lawton, NASA's Universe of Learning
Last Updated: July 6, 2021
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Night Sky Network (NSN) member clubs are dedicated to bringing the wonders of space and NASA science to folks across the USA.NSN program participation provides clubs with tools and resources to assist in their public outreach.
Follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram for the latest NSN news and outreach photos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for recordings of monthly astronomy webinars and archives of our outreach toolkit demonstration videos. #NightSkyNetwork #AstronomyOutreach
Night Sky Network (NSN) member clubs are dedicated to bringing the wonders of space and NASA science to folks across the USA.NSN program participation provides clubs with tools and resources to assist in their public outreach. 
The NASA Night Sky Network is managed by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. The ASP is a 501c3 non-profit organization advancing science literacy through astronomy.