Properties of Light

Most of what we know about the Universe comes from the study of light, and LSST will collect light from more distant objects than ever before. How can light be used to measure the temperatures, distances, and ages of objects in space?


Representative Color Images

The LSST camera has a set of six filters that span wavelengths from ultraviolet to infrared. Students will learn how filters are an essential tool for astronomy as they create color astronomical images with LSST data.

Teacher Guide

Watch Intro









Notebook → Notebook with code →



Extensions

Using Starlight to Measure Temperature

Students will use brightness measurements collected through the six LSST camera filters to construct a blackbody curve and estimate the temperature of a star. They will also use a color index to learn how color relates to temperature.

Teacher Guide











Continue to Notebook →

Using Light to Measure Distance

Students will use photometric redshifts to yield distance estimates for galaxies and quasars. They will learn how astronomers use look-back time to observe the early universe.


Teacher Guide











Continue to Notebook →