Interstellar Visualization WithNASA
Using historical 3D data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, Capitol Interactive created the first data-driven interstellar AR series — an episodic experience that chronicles stellar evolution through immersive visualization, hosted by NASA's Dr. Kim Arcand.
Industry: Space Science & Education
light years of stellar evolution visualized using NASA Chandra X-ray data
The First Data-Driven Interstellar AR Series
Using historical 3D data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, The Life of Stars connects us with the extraordinary story of stellar evolution through an experience that transcends time and space. The pilot episode chronicles the life of Cassiopeia A — the remnant of a star that exploded 11,000 light years away, with a surface area 40 million billion times that of our Sun.
Our Approach
Capitol Interactive built the experience in Unreal Engine, creating a procedural system that ingests NASA data, configures appropriate physics and visual parameters, and generates dynamic, physically based animations spanning the lifetime of celestial objects.
Procedural Star Generation
Using Unreal Engine, we created a procedural system that categorically ingests NASA data, configures physics and visual parameters, and generates dynamic, physically based rendering (PBR) animations spanning the full lifecycle of celestial objects.
Hosted by Dr. Kim Arcand
Dr. Kim Arcand, Visualization Lead for NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, serves as the holographic host — guiding users through self-guided or narrated explorations of stellar evolution.
Open-Source & Accessible
All NASA 3D assets are public domain, and the procedural star generator developed in Unreal Engine will be shared as free downloads in the Unreal Engine Marketplace — designed with principles of universal design to serve underserved communities, including those who are blind or visually impaired.
The Results
Created the first-ever data-driven interstellar AR experience using real NASA observatory data.
Built an interactive stellar timeline allowing viewers to witness billions of years of stellar evolution in XR for the first time.
Established partnerships with NASA's Museum Alliance to serve the EdTech community across museums, science centers, libraries, and planetariums.
All assets and tools are being made available as public domain resources for the broader community.
An Interstellar Atlas for Future Explorers
Life of Stars is produced to be shareable and widely distributed. The research and development outputs — including public domain NASA assets and the procedural star generator — benefit the EdTech community across museums, science centers, libraries, planetariums, schools, and universities.
