Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

I have been working on this project for a while but I'm struggling to come up with a good testable question other than "How do scientists use x-rays or false-color imaging to take pictures of space?". In the project I am using data from the Chandra x-ray telescope to create my own false color image. I was thinking about comparing infrared images to x-ray images to visual light images but what would the question that I am answering be?? I need to create the question before I write my hypothesis. As far as the physical experiment goes, I am going to create/show the same image using the three different methods.

p.s. my project is "X-Ray Vision: Seeing Into Space"

Hi beksicles,

I think that this project is about using false-color to improve the information displayed in x-ray images. Perhaps you could pose a testable question about your ability to see details in images with and without false color.

Images of the same object but with different energy emission levels (infrared, visible, x-ray) will show different features. One question for experiment might be “what are the features visible at each of light energy levels?”.

I hope this helps. Please post again if you have more questions.

A. Norman

but that sounds like I am testing my ability to tell the difference rather than the importance of the actual differences in the images. I'm also a little worried that “what are the features visible at each of light's energy levels?” is more of a research question than a testable one. I need to be able to create these images and present concrete details from them that specifically answer/support/ contradict a hypothesis. (

Hi beksicles,

Given the project background and procedure, I think a potential testable question could be “what details can be seen in false color images that can’t be seen in images without false color ?”. Wording the question that way avoids giving the impression that you’re testing only your ability to see differences.

That question is only one suggestion. I’m sure that you can think of many more possibilities. For example, you might consider the reasons that celestial objects emit different energy levels. So other questions might be “do hotter stars emit more x-rays than cooler ones ?” or “do stars in galaxy images show up as x-ray or as visible light emissions ?”.

I hope this helps. Please post again if you have more questions.

A. Norman