Do you see what I see?
A lesson about astronomical imaging.
A printable version of this lesson can be found here

The sun through different filters


This lesson will examine the role that different filters play in viewing an astronomical object. Each student will build their own filter wheel through which they will examine a color image of the Crab Nebula.

After practicing with the filter wheel we will examine various images of the Sun. Each solar image has been obtained with a different solar filter. The student will analyize the strengths and weaknesses of this data collection process.

Scientists often used different filters to help them gather information about a particular object. Often particular information is enhanced with one filter and "hidden" with another. When a scientist is interested in studying a certain aspect of an object he or she might view that object through a filter that enphasized what they are interested in and at the same time keeps the other information from becoming too distracting.

The knowledge gained in this lesson lends well to independent research projects in spectroscopy, medical imaging, or satellite imaging.

Let's get started by examining what different filters can do.



YPOP Homepage The Solar Classroom What Filters Can Do

Lesson designed by the YPOP Team

For questions about this lesson, please contact Michelle B. Larson


Selected by the sciLINKS program,
a service of National Science Teachers
Association. Copyright 1999-2002.