Suggested Searches

 

1 min read

Compass and Scale Image for Carina Nebula Pillars (ACS)

Compass and Scale Image for Carina Nebula Pillars (ACS)

About the Object

  • R.A. Position
    R.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.
    10h 43m 59.99s
  • Dec. Position
    Dec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.
    -59° 35' 0.0"
  • Constellation
    ConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.
    Carina
  • 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.
    7,500 light-years (2,300 parsecs)
  • Dimensions
    DimensionsThe physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.
    This image is 5 arcminutes (11.4 light-years or 3.5 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.
    This image was created from HST data from proposals 12050: M. Livio, K. Noll, M. Mutchler, Z. Levay, L. Frattare, W. Januszewski, C. Christian, and T. Borders (Hubble 20th Anniversary Team, STScI); and 10241: N. Smith (University of California, Berkeley), J. Bally (University of Colorado, Boulder), N. Walborn (STScI), and J. Morse (NASA/GSFC).
  • Instrument
    InstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.
    HST>ACS/WFC
  • Exposure Dates
    Exposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.
    July 17, 2005, and February 1-2, 2010
  • Filters
    FiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.
    F658N (H-alpha+[N II]) and F502N ([O III])
  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    Carina Nebula Pillar
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    Carina Nebula Star-Forming Pillars
  • Release Date
    September 16, 2010
  • Science Release
    Cosmic Ice Sculptures: Dust Pillars in the Carina Nebula
    Read the release
  • Credit
    NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA); Acknowledgment: M. Livio (STScI) and N. Smith (University of California, Berkeley)

Downloads

  • 1000 × 590
    jpg (226.1 KB)
  • 400 × 236
    jpg (25.59 KB)
  • PDF
    (13.18 MB)
  • 3000 × 1771
    (908 KB)
  • 200 × 200
    (12.8 KB)
  • 400 × 236
    (25.59 KB)
  • 1000 × 590
    (226.1 KB)
Compass and Scale Image for Carina Nebula Pillars (ACS)
Color Info
Color InfoA brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented.

These images are composites of separate exposures made by the ACS instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Each filter was used to sample a narrow wavelength range. The composite colors result from assigning different hues (colors) to each monochromatic (grayscale) image associated with an individual filter. In this case, the assigned colors are: Yellow/gold: F658N (H-alpha+[N II]) Cyan: F502N ([O III])

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

Cosmic Ice Sculptures: Dust Pillars in the Carina Nebula

Cosmic Ice Sculptures: Dust Pillars in the Carina Nebula

Enjoying a frozen treat on a hot summer day can leave a sticky mess as it melts in the Sun and deforms. In the cold vacuum of space, there is no edible ice cream, but there is radiation from massive stars that is carving away at cold molecular clouds, creating bizarre,...

Carina Nebula Finder Image

Carina Nebula Finder Image

[LEFT] This is the Carina Nebula as imaged by ground-based telescopes at the Cerro Tololo Inter-american Observatory (CTIO) in La Serena, Chile. Narrow-band filters which allow emission from oxygen, hydrogen, and oxygen were used to create this multi-colored image. The white box...

A Flight Into the Dark Pillars of Carina

A Flight Into the Dark Pillars of Carina

This scientific visualization creates a three-dimensional virtual tour of several dark pillars of cool gas in the Carina Nebula. The stars and nebula layers from Hubble's two-dimensional image have been separated using both scientific knowledge and artistic license to create the...

A Stereo 3-D Flight Into the Dark Pillars of Carina

A Stereo 3-D Flight Into the Dark Pillars of Carina

This scientific visualization creates a three-dimensional virtual tour of several dark pillars of cool gas in the Carina Nebula. The stars and nebula layers from Hubble's two-dimensional image have been separated using both scientific knowledge and artistic license to create the...

Share

Details

Last Updated
Mar 14, 2025
Contact
Media

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

Related Terms

Keep Exploring

Discover More Topics From NASA

Hubble Space Telescope

Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe.

Hubble Science Highlights

Hubble Images

Hubble News