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White Dwarfs

Try This!

Below is a four-sentence cryptogram that describes the basic characteristics of the a white dwarf. Try to figure out the encoded message. When you are done, check your answer.

(Note: This activity is not interactive under MSIE on Mac OS X.)

25 2 12 17 4

A   W   W A F   S   A   S A   A
---   --- --- --- --- ---   --- --- --- --- ---   --- ---   ---   --- --- --- ---   --- --- --- ---
           

A S       A   F
--- --- ---   --- ---   --- --- --- ---   --- --- --- --- --- --- ---   --- --- --- ---
       

S .       S   S   A S  
--- --- --- --- --- --- ---       --- ---   --- ---   --- --- --- ---   --- --- --- --- --- --- ---   --- ---
             

S   - A S .       W   W A F
--- --- --- --- ---   ---   --- --- --- ---       --- --- ---   --- --- --- --- ---   --- --- --- --- ---
             

A S     A   .
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---   --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---   --- --- ---   --- --- --- --- --- ---  
       

  W   W A F ' S   A   S
--- --- ---   --- --- --- --- ---   --- --- --- --- ---   ---   --- --- --- --- --- --- ---   --- ---
         

S   S   A     S  
--- ---   --- --- --- --- --- ---   --- --- --- ---   --- ---   --- --- --- --- ---   --- --- ---
         

A S   S       S F A
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---   --- --- --- --- ---   --- ---   --- --- ---   --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
       

A   S S     A   A
--- --- ---   --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---   --- --- ---   --- --- --- --- --- ---   --- --- ---
       

  A S       K
--- --- --- --- --- ---   --- --- --- --- ---   --- ---   --- --- ---   --- --- --- --- ---
       

S .
--- --- --- --- ---  
 

Solution

This activity was developed by Kim Cochrane, Bowie High School, Bowie Maryland.

Imagine the Universe is a service of the High Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC), Dr. Nicholas White (Director), within the Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

The Imagine Team
Project Leader: Dr. Jim Lochner
All material on this site has been created and updated between 1997-2004.

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