Smithsonian Castle with Chandra AR Experience

April 18, 2024
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Red brick building and green grass background with graphic projection of starry nebula and floating text.

Spotted outside the Smithsonian Castle on the National Mall, the helix nebula augmented reality effect provides a sense of the end of a star’s life. This new set of Chandra Instagram experiences was made possible by a collaboration including NASA, the Smithsonian Institution, as well as students and researchers at Brown University. Each effect includes facts such as the one seen here: This phase of a star is called a “planetary nebula,” a misnomer originating from mistaken observations by 19th century astronomers. 

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