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Compass and Scale Image of NGC 2818

Compass and Scale Image of NGC 2818

About the Object

  • R.A. Position
    R.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.
    09h 16m 6.13s
  • Dec. Position
    Dec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.
    -36° 37' 36.87"
  • Constellation
    ConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.
    Pyxis
  • 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.
    10,400 light-years (3.2 kiloparsecs)
  • Dimensions
    DimensionsThe physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.
    This image is roughly 2 arcminutes (6.5 light-years or 2 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 11956: K. Noll, Z. Levay, M. Mutchler, L. Frattare, C. Christian, F. Hamilton, and H. Bond (STScI/AURA)
  • Instrument
    InstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.
    HST>WFPC2
  • Exposure Dates
    Exposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.
    November 27/28, 2008, Exposure Time: 2.1 hours
  • Filters
    FiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.
    F502N ([O III]), F656N (H-alpha), and F658N ([N II])
  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    NGC 2818
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    Planetary Nebula
  • Release Date
    January 15, 2009
  • Science Release
    Hubble Snaps a Splendid Planetary Nebula
    Read the release
  • Credit
    Illustration:: NASA, ESA, and Z. Levay (STScI); Science:: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

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Compass and Scale Image of NGC 2818
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 WFPC2 instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope. Three 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: Blue: F502N ([O III]) Green: F656N (H-alpha) Red: F658N ([N II])

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

A roughly oval-shaped planetary nebula with three different layers.

Hubble Snaps a Splendid Planetary Nebula

The Hubble Space Telescope has imaged striking details of the famed planetary nebula designated NGC 2818, which lies in the southern constellation of Pyxis (the Compass). The spectacular structure of the planetary nebula contains the outer layers of a star that were expelled...

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Details

Last Updated
Mar 28, 2025
Contact
Media

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

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