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Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A

Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A

About the Object

  • R.A. Position
    R.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.
    23h 23m 24s
  • Dec. Position
    Dec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.
    +58° 48' 54"
  • Constellation
    ConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.
    Cassiopeia
  • Distance
    DistanceThe physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs.
    About 3,400 parsecs (11,000 light-years)
  • Dimensions
    DimensionsThe physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.
    The bright remnant shell has a diameter of about 4 parsecs (13 light-years).

About the Data

  • Data Description
    Data DescriptionProposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
    Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.
    Principal Astronomers: R. Fesen (Dartmouth), J. Morse (Univ. of Colorado), R. Chevalier (Univ. of Virginia), K. Borkowski (North Carolina State Univ.), C. Gerardy (Dartmouth), S. Lawrence (Hofstra Univ.), S. van den Bergh (Dominion Astrophys. Obs.)
  • Instrument
    InstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.
    HST>WFPC2
  • Exposure Dates
    Exposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.
    January 2000, and January 2002, Exposure Time: 14 hours
  • Filters
    FiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.
    F850LP, F675W (R), F450W (B)
  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    Cassiopeia A, Cas A
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    Supernova Remnant
  • Release Date
    July 3, 2002
  • Science Release
    Colorful Fireworks Finale Caps a Star’s Life
    Read the release
  • Credit
    NASA and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

Downloads

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Related Images & Videos

Cassiopeia A: Colorful, Shredded Remains of Old Supernova

Cassiopeia A: Colorful, Shredded Remains of Old Supernova

Glowing gaseous streamers of red, white, and blue - as well as green and pink - illuminate the heavens like Fourth of July fireworks. The colorful streamers that float across the sky in this photo taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope were created by one of the biggest...

Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A (Annotated)

Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A (Annotated)

Full Mosaic With Outlines of Detail Sections and Center of Expansion Marked

Full Mosaic With Outlines of Detail Sections and Center of Expansion Marked

Details of Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A

Details of Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A

Details of Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A

Details of Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A

Details of Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A

Details of Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A

Details of Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A

Details of Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A

Panning Cassiopeia A

Panning Cassiopeia A

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Details

Last Updated
Mar 28, 2025
Contact
Media

Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov

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