Suggested Searches

1 min read

Close Up of Ancient, White Dwarf Stars in the Milky Way Galaxy

Close Up of Ancient, White Dwarf Stars in the Milky Way Galaxy

About the Object

  • R.A. Position
    R.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.
    16h 23m 35.4s
  • Dec. Position
    Dec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.
    -26° 31' 31.9"
  • Constellation
    ConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.
    Scorpius
  • 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.
    M4 is roughly 5,600 light-years from the Earth.

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: H. Richer (U. British Columbia), G. Fahlman (CFHT), B. Gibson (U. Colorado), B. Hansen (Princeton U.), R. Ibata (ESO), M. Limongi (Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma), M. Rich (UCLA), M. Shara (AMNH), P. Stetson (DAO)
  • Instrument
    InstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.
    WFPC2 and HST>STIS
  • Exposure Dates
    Exposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.
    January - April 2001, Exposure Time: 7.4 days
  • Filters
    FiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.
    HST: F336W (B), F555W (V), F814W (I)
  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    M4, NGC 6121
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    Globular Cluster, White Dwarf Stars
  • Release Date
    April 24, 2007
  • Science Release
    The Carina Nebula: Star Birth in the Extreme
  • Credits
    NASA and H. Richer (University of British Columbia)

Downloads

  • 1024 × 1024
    jpg (178.66 KB)
  • 1024 × 1024
    tif (1.02 MB)
  • 600 × 600
    jpg (81.87 KB)
  • 200 × 200
    jpg (8.72 KB)
  • 400 × 400
    jpg (21.93 KB)

Share

Details

Last Updated
Mar 14, 2025
Contact
Media

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