NOIRLab releases complete educational resource for constellations

The project offers high-quality, downloadable images created by German astrophotographer Eckhard Slawik. These images, taken on film, combine two exposures - one with and one without a diffuser filter - to beautifully highlight the colors of the stars. Each image is accompanied by detailed descriptions of the constellation, its historical significance, standardized stick figures, outline drawings, and finder charts. Notable deep-sky objects within each constellation are featured through archival images captured by NSF NOIRLab telescopes.

Educational resources such as flashcards and audiovisual materials have been developed to make the collection accessible for classrooms, planetariums, and museums.

A centerpiece of the release is a colossal all-sky image with 40,000 pixels, compiled from photographs captured by Slawik in pristine dark-sky locations across Germany, Spain, Namibia, and Chile. This image sets a new standard for publicly available astronomical imagery, offering extraordinary detail and scope.

The 88 Constellations project invites individuals of all ages to explore the night sky and deepen their understanding of astronomy. To learn more and download these educational materials, visit the project webpage.