In this collection, you will take an interactive journey put together by the Smithsonian Learning Lab.  You will explore the life cycle of stars and learn about the connection between elements and space. You will also explore real data that provides evidence for the dispersal of several elements produced by the explosion of massive stars, specifically through the Cassiopeia A supernova. Then you can put your knowledge into practice by navigating the remains of the supernova in the online interactive “Journey Through an Exploded Star.”

1. You will review that the visible spectrum of light is only a small part of the entire electromagnetic spectrum, learn about the different telescopes scientists use to view the electromagnetic radiation across that spectrum, and finally how they've used that data to form a composite view of our universe, specifically through a 3D model of the Cassiopeia A supernova.

2. The “PLAY” online interactive then provides you with a first-person flight through the center of this exploded star. The interactive is split into two parts: You will select the first part, a 2 minute guided fly-through, where Dr. Kim Arcand, project lead of the original 3D visualization found in the collection, explains the different forms of light and the elements that are traceable under those spectrums. This interactive works across browsers and requires no software downloads. If there is time you may also click on the “Free Explore” section where using the up/down and side arrows allow you to move your image and focus on different sections of the exploding star.

3. As you navigate through the various segments, you will answer questions and record your findings and any questions you have after each section.  Sit back and have fun as you  "Journey Through an Exploding Star".