Data Stories
Data Stories showcase new science imagery in an interactive view powered by WorldWide Telescope and glue. Ideas for exploration and scientific highlights are shared in a brief video and narrative text.
Explore the Data Stories by clicking on their image below!
Why Roman
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will image the universe 100x faster than Hubble. Explore the Andromeda Galaxy to learn how Roman will accomplish this amazing feat
Artemis II Path
Recreate views of the Earth and Moon as seen by the Artemis II crew! Follow their trajectory—from the Moon OR the Earth's point of view—and learn why those perspectives look so different from each other.
Bubbling Galaxies
Bring the science of "Beyond the Telescope: How Stars Shape Galaxies" from the Museum of Science Boston home. See how scientists compare simulations to JWST observations to understand the bubbly nature of some galaxies.
Roman View Finder
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, launching in 2026, will be able to image huge swaths of the infrared sky at an unprecedented rate. Compare Roman's camera footprint with different parts of the sky to see what it will be able to observe!
Rubin First Look
Explore the beautiful “Cosmic Treasure Chest” and “Trifid and Lagoon Nebula” images released by the Vera C. Rubin observatory. View these images in the context and learn about the incredible science that will be done with this amazing new telescope.
The Sun's Seasonal Journey
Recognizing how the Sun moves across our sky throughout the year is a key to truly understanding Earth's Seasons. In this Data Story, follow the Sun's Seasonal Journey from any location on Earth.
Planet Parade
In the second half of February 2026, six planets in our solar system were visible in the sky just after sunset. From a reasonably dark place, most people could see four of the six by eye. Learn why this happens and how to see the Planet Parade from your location in this Data Story.
Hubble's Law
In this expanded data story made for the classroom, students use real astronomical data to answer questions like, “Has the universe always existed? If not, how long ago did it form?” They also learn about the scientific process, and in particular, how scientists use their data to assess how reliable their results are when it's not possible to look up answers to new questions online or in the back of a textbook.
Blaze Star Nova
Any day now, a new star* will appear in our night sky within the constellation Corona Borealis. In this Blaze Star Nova Data Story, we’ll show you just where in the sky to look for it when the time comes! Also learn what we expect it to look like and what causes novas.
*Spoiler alert, novas are not actually new stars! A nova appears when a fainter star becomes so bright it seems like a new star has come out of nowhere.
TEMPO Lite
The TEMPO (Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring Pollution) mission aims to monitor pollution with more regularity and precision than ever before. In this interactive, we present map-based examples of TEMPO tropospheric nitrogen dioxide data which highlight the satellite's capabilities.
Access Educator Resources here.
2026 Total Eclipse
On August 12, 2026, Iceland and Spain will experience a stunning sunset total eclipse.
This interactive lets you explore this sunset total eclipse from different locations!
RadWave in Motion
The RadWave is made up of gas, dust, and stars loosely connected in a wave-like shape. It is so huge and so close to us that earlier scientists did not see that these parts were all connected.
Learn more about the discovery of the RadWave here!