1 min read
Distant Galaxy EGS-zs8-1 in CANDELS Field
This is a Hubble Space Telescope image of the farthest spectroscopically confirmed galaxy observed to date (inset). It was identified in this Hubble image of a field of galaxies in the CANDELS survey (Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey). NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope also observed the unique galaxy. The W. M. Keck Observatory was used to obtain a spectroscopic redshift (z=7.7), extending the previous redshift record. Measurements of the stretching of light, or redshift, give the most reliable distances to other galaxies. This source is thus currently the most distant confirmed galaxy known, and it appears to also be one of the brightest and most massive sources at that time. The galaxy existed over 13 billion years ago. The near-infrared image of the galaxy (inset) has been colored blue as suggestive of its young, and hence very blue, stars. The CANDELS field is a combination of visible-light and near-infrared exposures.
About the Object
- R.A. PositionR.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.14h 20m 34.89s
- Dec. PositionDec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.53° 0' 15.4"
- ConstellationConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.Boötes
- 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.Redshift: z = 7.7 (inset)
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.Data of EGS-zs8-1 were obtained from the HST proposals 12060, 12061, 12062, 12063, 12064, 12440, 12442, 12443, 12444, 12445, 13056 PIs: S. Faber (University of California, Santa Cruz) and H. Ferguson (STScI) and 13792, PI: R. Bouwens (University of Leiden). The science team comprises: P. Oesch and P. van Dokkum (Yale University), G. Illingworth (UCO/Lick Observatory), R.J. Bouwens (Leiden Observatory), I. Momcheva (Yale University), B. Holden (UCO/Lick Observatory), G. Roberts-Borsani (Leiden Observatory), R. Smit (Durham University, UK), M. Franx and I. Labbe (Leiden Observatory), V. Gonzalez (University of California, Riverside), and D. Magee (UCO/Lick Observatory). - InstrumentInstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.HST>ACS/WFC and HST>WFC3/IR
- FiltersFiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.ACS/WFC: F606W (V) WFC3/IR: F125W (J) and F160W (H)
- Object NameObject NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.EGS-zs8-1
- Object DescriptionObject DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.Distant Galaxy (inset)
- Release DateMay 5, 2015
- Science ReleaseAstronomers Set a New Galaxy Distance Record
- Credit
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 acquired by the ACS and the WFC3 instruments on the Hubble Space Telescope. Several filters were used to sample broad wavelength ranges. 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: Background Image Blue: (V) Green: (J) Red: (H) Inset Image Blue: F160W (H)
Share
Details
Last Updated
Feb 17, 2025
Contact
Media
Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov
