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Compass and Scale Image of Eta Carinae
About the Object
- R.A. PositionR.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.10h 45m 3.59s
- Dec. PositionDec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.-59° 41' 4.26"
- ConstellationConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.Carina
- DistanceDistanceThe 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)
- DimensionsDimensionsThe physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.This image is 0.6 arcminutes (1.2 light-years or 0.4 parsecs) wide.
About the Data
- Data DescriptionData 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 Hubble images were created from data from proposals 11500: K. Noll (STScI) and 11506: K. Noll (STScI), B. Woodgate (NASA/GSFC), C. Proffitt (STScI/CSC), and T. Gull (NASA/GSFC). Acknowledgments for Eta Car Observers: K. Noll (STScI), B. Woodgate (NASA/GSFC), C. Proffitt (STScI/CSC), and T. Gull (NASA/GSFC) Data Analysis: M. Mutchler (STScI) Image Composition: Z. Levay and L. Frattare (STScI) Text: D. Weaver and R. Villard (STScI) Illustrations: Z. Levay (STScI) Video: G. Bacon (STScI) Science Consultants: M. Livio (STScI) and T. Gull (NASA/GSFC) - InstrumentInstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.HST>WFPC2
- Exposure DatesExposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.September 5-6, 2008, Exposure Time: 38 minutes
- FiltersFiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.F336W (U), F502N ([O III]), F631N ([O I]), F656N (H-alpha), and F658N ([N II])
- Object NameObject NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.Eta Carinae, Eta Car
- Object DescriptionObject DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.Variable Star
- Release DateSeptember 9, 2009
- Science ReleaseHubble Opens New Eyes on the Universe
- Credits
The image is a composite of separate exposures made by the WFPC2 instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope. Five filters were used to sample narrow wavelength ranges. The color results from assigning different hues (colors) to each monochromatic image. In this case, the assigned colors are: Red: F658N ([N II]) Yellow: F656N (H-alpha) Green: F631N ([O I]) Cyan: F502N ([O III]) Blue: F336W (U)
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Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, MD
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov
