Pixel

https://github.com/Prakhar-Bhartiya/Pixel_NASA-Stellar-Variability-Investigation-in-VR

https://youtu.be/FYhxbjHiQBw

Project “Stellar variability investigation in virtual reality” is all about how can we make a common person with no prior knowledge can comprehend tough astronomy concepts like stellar variability using the immersive power of virtual reality. Project is divided into two parts: 

1. Learn:

The user is welcomed by an immersive VR space experience in this scene. The user begins his educational journey by looking at some of NASA's most well-known space exploration missions, including the Kepler Space Telescope, the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), and the James Webb Space Telescope, along with an accurate 3D model of the spacecraft (a NASA 3D resource), and a mission-related NASA video. Using a user-friendly video made by a NASA employee, the following user is introduced to the fundamental idea of "Stellar variability." After learning the fundamentals of "Why stars brightness fluctuates?" the user proceeds to "How to understand different light curves and its meaning?" and "How to understand different light curves in depth?"

1. Explore

The user can use this knowledge to investigate a specific star once they have mastered all the subtleties of stellar variability and comprehended its significance using the most popular technique, transition method analyses by light curves from stars. The user can use StarID (e.g., TIC 22344284), StarName (e.g., Pi Mansae), or any other identifier to search for a specific star in the scene. To access processed pertinent information, a VR headset (Meta quest 2) connected to the same network calls a Flask server hosted on a local PC with the same star identifier. Local Flask servers are used to build customized APIs with various endpoints that use packages like "LightKurve," "K2Flix," and others to access real-time data from MAST servers. Finally, preprocessed light curves and pertinent data are shown to the user so they can continue their investigation and determine what causes stellar variability.

Benifits : With learning modules and an immersive VR experience of the stars in the sky, an astronomy novice can explore becoming a professional investigator of stellar variability. Experience is developed considering all age groups.

//Tried to achieve most in time crunch many future aspects can be improved with more improvised data input and relevant visualization

Package and Language : Flask, Python, LightKurve, K2Flix, Unity3D, C#, requests, MAST API, matplotlib, numpy,

VR Device : Meta Quest 2

Majorly used MAST(NASA) space data specically for ransiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) data fetched from lightKurve package complemented by k2flix. Ideology was to get most effective data from beginner point of view.

Crazy learnt a lot from no experience about space to developing a app, even submitted this at last minute. No food no sleep but yeah all worth it. Will attach all the roughs and experience in GitHub and carry as souvenir.

https://docs.astropy.org/en/stable/io/fits/api/files.html

https://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/tess/community-tools.html

https://archive.stsci.edu/tess/bulk_downloads/bulk_downloads_ffi-tp-lc-dv.html

https://docs.astropy.org/en/stable/utils/index.html#module-astropy.utils.data

https://fits.gsfc.nasa.gov/fits_primer.html

https://mast.stsci.edu/tesscut/

https://tess.mit.edu

https://archive.stsci.edu/missions-and-data/tess

https://www.youtube.com/c/PlanetHuntersCoffee

https://www.youtube.com/goddardtv

#VirtualReality#ImmersiveLearning#StellarVariability#BeginnerFriendly#Space#Fun#Futuristic