1 min read
Hubble’s 15th Anniversary Images of the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) and Eagle Nebula
During the 15 years NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has orbited the Earth, it has taken more than 700,000 photos of the cosmos; images that have awed, astounded and even confounded astronomers and the public.
NASA released new views today of two of the most well-known objects Hubble has ever observed: the Whirlpool Galaxy (spiral galaxy M51) [left] and the Eagle Nebula [right]. These new images are among the largest and sharpest Hubble has ever taken. They were made with Hubble's newest camera, the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). The images are so incredibly sharp, they could be enlarged to billboard size and still retain stunning details.
For the 15th anniversary, scientists used the ACS to record a new region of the eerie-looking Eagle Nebula. The Eagle Nebula image reveals a tall, dense tower of gas being sculpted by ultraviolet light from a group of massive, hot stars. The new Whirlpool Galaxy image showcases the spiral galaxy's classic features, from its curving arms, where newborn stars reside, to its yellowish central core that serves as home for older stars. A feature of considerable interest is the companion galaxy located at the end of one of the spiral arms.
About the Object
- 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.Whirlpool Galaxy (left); About 31 million light-years (9.6 Megaparsecs); Eagle Nebula (right): About 6,500 light-years (2,000 parsecs)
- DimensionsDimensionsThe physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.The left image is 9.6 arcminutes (87,000 light-years or 27,000 parsecs) wide. The right image is 3.2 arcminutes (6 light-years or 1.9 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 Whirlpool Galaxy image (left) was created from HST data from proposal 10452: S. Beckwith (STScI), R. Kennicutt Jr. (University of Arizona), and H. Bond, C. Christian, L. Frattare, F. Hamilton, Z. Levay, M. Mutchler, K. Noll, and T. Royle (The Hubble Heritage Team, STScI). Note: High level science products (combined and mosaiced fits files for each filter) are available at: http://archive.stsci.edu/prepds/m51 The Eagle Nebula image (right) was created from HST data from proposal 10393: K. Noll, H. Bond, C. Christian, L. Frattare, F. Hamilton, Z. Levay, M. Mutchler, and T. Royle (The Hubble Heritage Team, STScI). - InstrumentInstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.HST>ACS/WFC
- Exposure DatesExposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.January 18-22, 2005, Exposure Time: 9.0 hours (left); November 4 - 7, 2004, Exposure Time: 3.4 hours (right)
- FiltersFiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.Whirlpool Galaxy (left); F435W (B), F555W (V), F658N (Halpha + [N II]), F814W (I) Eagle Nebula (right): F435W (B), F555W (V), F502N ([O III]), F658N (Halpha + [N II]), F814W (I)
- Object NameObject NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.Whirlpool Galaxy, M51, NGC 5194/5 (left); Eagle Nebula, M16, NGC 6611, IC 4703 (right)
- Object DescriptionObject DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.Face-on Spiral Galaxy with Companion (left); Gaseous Nebula in Open Cluster (right)
- Release DateApril 25, 2005
- Science ReleaseHubble Celebrates 15th Anniversary with Spectacular New Images
Whirlpool Galaxy (left) Blue: F435W (B) Green: F555W (V) Red: F658N (Halpha + [N II]) + F814W (I) Eagle Nebula (right) Blue: F435W (B) + F502N ([O III]) Green: F555W (V) + F658N (Halpha + [N II]) + F502N ([O III]) Red: F658N (Halpha + [N II]) + F814W (I)
Related Images & Videos
Out of This Whirl: the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) and Companion Galaxy
The graceful, winding arms of the majestic spiral galaxy M51 (NGC 5194) appear like a grand spiral staircase sweeping through space. They are actually long lanes of stars and gas laced with dust. This sharpest-ever image of the Whirlpool Galaxy, taken in January 2005 with the...
The Eagle Has Risen: Stellar Spire in the Eagle Nebula
Appearing like a winged fairy-tale creature poised on a pedestal, this object is actually a billowing tower of cold gas and dust rising from a stellar nursery called the Eagle Nebula. The soaring tower is 9.5 light-years or about 57 trillion miles high, about twice the distance...
Location of HST images in the Eagle Nebula
This wide-field image of the Eagle Nebula was taken at the National Science Foundation's 0.9-meter telescope on Kitt Peak with the NOAO Mosaic CCD camera. It shows the areas seen in greater detail with Hubble's Wide-Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) in 1995 and Advanced Camera...
All-Sky Plot of All HST Observations as of Mar. 23, 2005
In its 15 years of viewing the sky, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has taken more than 700,000 exposures and probed more than 22,000 celestial targets as represented by the different colored dots in this map of the sky. All data from April 1990 through March 2005 are represented...
Hubble Observations Sky Map Animation
In its 15 years of viewing the sky, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has taken more than 700,000 exposures and probed more than 22,000 celestial targets as represented by the different colored dots in this map of the sky. All data from April 1990 through March 2005 are represented...
HubbleMinute: 15 Years of Science from Hubble Space Telescope
15th anniversary Hubble Minute on the top science discoveries of the Hubble Space Telescope. Images cover planets, comets, stars, galaxies and almost back to the beginning of time. The story leads up to Hubble's largest images ever revealed.
HubbleMinute: Amazing Space "Galileo to the Great Observatories: Telescopes from the Ground Up"
Amazing Space has launched a revolutionary new online program that covers the history, people and technology of telescopes from Galileo to the Great Observatories. The program is unique in its application of on-line tools to build skills for a knowledge base to understand the...
Share
Details
Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov
