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Hickson Compact Group 87: A Group of Four Galaxies
About the Object
- R.A. PositionR.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.20h 48m 10.99s
- Dec. PositionDec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.-11° 50' 24.0"
- ConstellationConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.Capricornus
- 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.120 Mpc (roughly 400 million light-years)
- DimensionsDimensionsThe physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.The galaxy group has a diameter of 52 kpc (170,000 light-years).
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.Principal Astronomers: J. Charlton (PSU), S. Hunsberger (Lowell Obs.), F. Hamilton, H. Bond, C. Christian, J. English, L. Frattare, A. Kinney, Z. Levay, K. Noll (The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) - 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.July 19-25, 1999, Exposure Time: 6.6 hours
- FiltersFiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.F450 (B), F555W (V), F675W (R), and F814W (I)
- Object NameObject NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.Hickson Compact Group 87, HCG 87
- Object DescriptionObject DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.Cluster of Interacting Galaxies
- Release DateJuly 19, 2001
- Science ReleaseStar Clusters Born in the Wreckage of Cosmic Collisions
- CreditScience Release Credit: Image: NASA, Jayanne English (University of Manitoba), Sally Hunsberger (Pennsylvania State University), Zolt Levay (Space Telescope Science Institute), Sarah Gallagher (Pennsylvania State University), and Jane Charlton (Pennsylvania State University); Science: Sarah Gallagher (Pennsylvania State University), Jane Charlton (Pennsylvania State University), Sally Hunsberger (Pennsylvania State University), Dennis Zaritsky (University of Arizona), and Bradley Whitmore (Space Telescope Science Institute)
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Last Updated
Mar 28, 2025
Contact
Media
Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov
