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Compass and Scale Image of M83

Compass and Scale Image of M83

About the Object

  • R.A. Position
    R.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.
    13h 37m 0.95s
  • Dec. Position
    Dec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.
    -29° 51' 55.51"
  • Constellation
    ConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.
    Hydra
  • 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.
    15 million light-years (4.5 million parsecs)
  • Dimensions
    DimensionsThe physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.
    This image is roughly 2.6 arcminutes (11,000 light-years or 3,400 parsecs) wide.

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.
    The image was created from Hubble data from proposal 11360: R. O'Connell (University of Virginia), B. Balick (University of Washington), H. Bond (STScI), D. Calzetti (University of Massachusetts), M. Carollo (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich), M. Disney (University of Wales, College of Cardiff), M. Dopita (Australian National University), J. Frogel (Ohio State University Research Foundation) , D. Hall (University of Hawaii), J. Holtzman (New Mexico State University), P. McCarthy (Carnegie Institution of Washington), F. Paresce (European Southern Observatory, Germany), A. Saha (NOAO/AURA) , J. Silk (University of Oxford), A. Walker (NOAO/CTIO) , B. Whitmore (STScI), R. Windhorst (Arizona State University), and E. Young (University of Arizona).
  • Instrument
    InstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.
    HST>WFC3/UVIS
  • Exposure Dates
    Exposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.
    August 19-26, 2009, Exposure Time: 11 hours
  • Filters
    FiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.
    F336W (U), F555W (V), F502N ([O III]), F657N (H-alpha), and F814W (I)
  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    M83, NGC 5236, Southern Pinwheel Galaxy
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    Barred Spiral Galaxy
  • Release Date
    November 5, 2009
  • Science Release
    Hubble Image Showcases Star Birth in M83, the Southern Pinwheel
    Read the release
  • Credits
    NASA, ESA, and Z. Levay (STScI)

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Compass and Scale Image of M83
Color Info
Color InfoA brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented.

The image is a composite of separate exposures made by the WFC3 instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope. Five filters were used to sample broad and narrow wavelength ranges. The color results from assigning different hues (colors) to each monochromatic image. In this case, the assigned colors are: Blue: F336W (U) Green: F555W (V) Cyan: F502N ([O III]) Red: F657N (H-alpha) + F814W (I)

Compass and Scale
Compass and ScaleAn astronomical image with a scale that shows how large an object is on the sky, a compass that shows how the object is oriented on the sky, and the filters with which the image was made.

Related Images & Videos

Hubble Image Showcases Star Birth in M83, the Southern Pinwheel

Hubble Image Showcases Star Birth in M83, the Southern Pinwheel

The spectacular new camera installed on NASA's Hubble Space Telescope during Servicing Mission 4 in May has delivered the most detailed view of star birth in the graceful, curving arms of the nearby spiral galaxy M83. Nicknamed the Southern Pinwheel, M83 is undergoing more rapid...

Hubble Wide Field Camera 3 Image Details Star Birth in Galaxy M83

Hubble Wide Field Camera 3 Image Details Star Birth in Galaxy M83

The spectacular new camera installed on NASA's Hubble Space Telescope during Servicing Mission 4 in May has delivered the most detailed view of star birth in the graceful, curving arms of the nearby spiral galaxy M83. Nicknamed the Southern Pinwheel, M83 is undergoing more rapid...

Ground Image of M83 Taken at ESO in La Silla, Chile

Ground Image of M83 Taken at ESO in La Silla, Chile

This is an image of the galaxy M83, taken by the European Southern Observatory's Wide Field Imager on the ESO/MPG 2.2-meter telescope at La Silla, Chile.

Ground-based Image of Sky Around M83

Ground-based Image of Sky Around M83

This is an Akira Fujii constellation image of the Hydra, Centaurus, and Crux constellations. This image was used in a zoom animation highlighting the M83 Hubble release image.

Digitized Sky Survey Image of Star Field Around M83

Digitized Sky Survey Image of Star Field Around M83

This is a Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) image of the field around M83. This image was used in a zoom animation highlighting the M83 Hubble release image.

Hubble WFC3 Spiral Galaxy M83 Zoom Animation (Narrated)

Hubble WFC3 Spiral Galaxy M83 Zoom Animation (Narrated)

The magnificent spiral galaxy M83 lies 15 million light-years away in the southern sky. Peering into one of the galaxy's spiral arms, the Hubble Space Telescope's new Wide Field Camera 3 is giving astronomers a detailed new look at the firestorm of star birth taking place in the...

Hubble WFC3 Spiral Galaxy M83 Zoom Animation

Hubble WFC3 Spiral Galaxy M83 Zoom Animation

The magnificent spiral galaxy M83 lies 15 million light-years away in the southern sky. Peering into one of the galaxy's spiral arms, the Hubble Space Telescope's new Wide Field Camera 3 is giving astronomers a detailed new look at the firestorm of star birth taking place in the...

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Details

Last Updated
Feb 17, 2025
Contact
Media

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

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