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Compass and Scale Image of Hercules A

Compass and Scale Image of Hercules A

About the Object

  • R.A. Position
    R.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.
    16h 51m 8.14s
  • Dec. Position
    Dec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.
    04° 59' 33.32"
  • Constellation
    ConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.
    Hercules
  • 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.
    2.1 billion light-years (637 million parsecs or redshift z = 0.156)

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 13065: S. Baum and C. O'Dea (Rochester Institute of Technology) and J. Stoke and F. Lo (Associated Universities, Inc.). Notes:The VLA data are from the National Radio Astronomy Observatory observation project TDEM0011: R. Perley, W. Cotton, and U. Rao (NRAO/AUI/NSF). These data were taken August 2010 through September 2011. Frequencies 4-9 GHz were measured.
  • Instrument
    InstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.
    HST>WFC3/UVIS and National Radio Astronomy Observatory VLA
  • Exposure Dates
    Exposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.
    October 8, 2012, Exposure Time: 1 hour
  • Filters
    FiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.
    WFC3/UVIS: F606W (V) and F814W (I) VLA: C Band Low (4-6 GHz), C Band High (6-8 GHz), and X Band Low (8-9 GHz)
  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    Hercules A, Herc A, 3C 348
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    Active Galaxy; Radio Galaxy
  • Release Date
    November 29, 2012
  • Science Release
    A Multi-Wavelength View of Radio Galaxy Hercules A
    Read the release
  • Credit
    Illustration: NASA, ESA, and Z. Levay (STScI)

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

This image is a composite of separate exposures acquired by Hubble's WFC3 instrument and the VLA. Several filters were used to sample various wavelengths/frequencies. The color results from assigning different hues (colors) to each monochromatic (grayscale) image associated with an individual filter. In this case, the assigned colors are: Orange: F814W (I) Blue: WFC3/UVIS F606W (V) + VLA X Band Low (8-9 GHz) Green: VLA C Band High (6-8 GHz) Red: VLA C Band Low (4-6 GHz)

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

Small yellow elliptical galaxy with enormous pink jets projecting out in opposite directions, far into space.

A Multi-Wavelength View of Radio Galaxy Hercules A

Spectacular jets powered by the gravitational energy of a supermassive black hole in the core of the elliptical galaxy Hercules A illustrate the combined imaging power of two of astronomy's cutting-edge tools, the Hubble Space Telescope's Wide Field Camera 3, and the recently...

Hubble Optical Image of Hercules A (3C 348)

Hubble Optical Image of Hercules A (3C 348)

This Hubble Space Telescope composite of V and I filters shows the active galaxy 3C 348, also known as Hercules A. The Hubble data were taken in October of 2012.

VLA Radio Image of Hercules A (3C 348)

VLA Radio Image of Hercules A (3C 348)

This VLA radio composite image shows the active galaxy 3C 348, also known as Hercules A. The VLA data, which record frequencies from 4-9 GHz, were taken in 2010-2011.

A 3-D Perspective on Hercules A

A 3-D Perspective on Hercules A

This video envisions a three-dimensional look at the combined visible light and radio emission from the active galaxy Hercules A. Unusually, this giant elliptical galaxy is not found in a large cluster of galaxies, but rather within a comparatively small group of galaxies. The...

Hercules A Zoom Sequence (Annotated)

Hercules A Zoom Sequence (Annotated)

This video zooms in on the active radio galaxy Hercules A. Spectacular jets powered by the gravitational energy of a supermassive black hole in the core of the elliptical galaxy Hercules A illustrate the combined imaging power of two of astronomy's cutting-edge tools, the Hubble...

Hercules A Zoom Sequence

Hercules A Zoom Sequence

This video zooms in on the active radio galaxy Hercules A. Spectacular jets powered by the gravitational energy of a supermassive black hole in the core of the elliptical galaxy Hercules A illustrate the combined imaging power of two of astronomy's cutting-edge tools, the Hubble...

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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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