Constellation-X Spectroscopy Glasses
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Click images above for larger view of the glasses.
The Constellation-X spectroscopy glasses in Dr. Brian Thomas' astronomy classroom at Washburn University.
The Constellation-X mission is going to improve astronomical X-ray spectroscopy. Since we cannot give you X-ray eyes, we have decided to instead give you spectroscopy eyes. We have designed spectroscopy glasses that contain diffraction gratings in place of glass – these glasses let you see the distinct colors in the light around you.
So far, we have recieved requests for over 1400 glasses from places ranging from Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, Maryland to Central Middle School in Port Huron, Michigan. These glasses have been used in classrooms to study light diffraction, in workshops for middle and high school teachers, and as give-aways at astronomy talks.
If you have an upcoming event or classroom activity for which these glasses would be appropriate, please let us know. We are happy to send out sets of these glasses for educational events or classrooms.
Please request only as many glasses as you need, so we can reach a larger number of people. A typical request is for a classroom set of ~30 glasses, and we are setting a limit of no more than 50 pairs for any requestor. You may direct requests to Con-X Glasses Request, and in your e-mail please include the following information:
- Full Contact Information
(Name, Mailing Address, Phone Number, Email Address) - Organization Name (School Name, etc.)
- Brief Description of use of the glasses
- Number of glasses requested (A typical request is for a "classroom set" of 25-35 glasses. Due to our limited inventory, we ask that you limit your request to 40 glasses)
Please note: We will be sending out requests approximately once per month. We thank you for your patience.
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The Constellation-X spectroscopy glasses at the January 2006 American Astronomical Society Meeting in Washington, DC.
