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NGC 1333 (Compass Image)

Color image of NGC 1333 with color key, scale bar, and compass arrows on the left and four small grayscale images of the same field of view in a 2 by 2 grid on the right.

This is a compass graphic for the star-forming region NGC 1333. The left half is a color image of NGC 1333 labeled “NGC 1333, HST WFC3/UVIS”. Four filter labels are in blue (F475W), green (F606W), and red (F657N H-alpha plus NII, and F814W). At bottom a scale bar is labeled 0.2 light-years and 43 arcseconds. The right half shows four black-and-white panels in a two-by-two layout. Each panel is a view of NGC 1333 in an individual filter. At top left is F475W; at top right is F606W; at bottom left is F657N; at bottom right is F814W.

About the Object

  • R.A. Position
    R.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.
    03:29:11.3
  • Dec. Position
    Dec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.
    +31:18:36
  • Constellation
    ConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.
    Perseus
  • 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.
    967 light-years
  • Dimensions
    DimensionsThe physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.
    Image is about 5.0 wide by 7.6 arcmin tall (about 1.4 by 2.1 light-years)

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 HST observations include those from program 17266 (C. Britt)

  • Instrument
    InstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.
    WFC3/UVIS
  • Exposure Dates
    Exposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.
    December 2022 to March 2023
  • Filters
    FiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.
    F475W, F606W, F657N, F814W
  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    NGC 1333
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    Reflection Nebula
  • Release Date
    April 20, 2023
  • Science Release
    Hubble Celebrates 33rd Anniversary with a Peek into Nearby Star-Forming Region
    Read the release
  • Credit
    NASA, ESA, STScI; Image Processing: Varun Bajaj (STScI), Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Jennifer Mack (STScI)

Downloads

  • Full Res (For Display), 14848 × 11315
    png (257.49 MB)
  • Full Res (For Print), 14848 × 11315
    tif (286.31 MB)
  • 2000 × 1524
    png (3.19 MB)
Color image of NGC 1333 with color key, scale bar, and compass arrows on the left and four small grayscale images of the same field of view in a 2 by 2 grid on the right.
Color Info
Color InfoA brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented.

These images are a composite of separate exposures acquired by the WFC3 instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope. Several filters were used to sample wide and narrow 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: Blue: F475W, Green: F606W, Red: F657N and F814W

Related Images & Videos

A vertical image with colors ranging from blue at the top to golden in the middle and red at the bottom.

NGC 1333

Astronomers are celebrating NASA's Hubble Space Telescope’s 33rd launch anniversary with an ethereal photo of a nearby star-forming region, NGC 1333. The nebula is in the Perseus molecular cloud, and located approximately 960 light-years away. Hubble's colorful view, showcased...

This 32-second video begins with a star field. Constellation lines, illustrations, and labels appear for Perseus at upper left, Triangulum at bottom center, and Andromeda at right. The overlays disappear and the view zooms into the lower left. At about 14 seconds, a nebula appears and grows closer while the field of view rotates gradually counterclockwise. The zoom and rotation continues until the Hubble image fills the frame.

Zoom to NGC 1333

This is a video zoom into the northern constellation Perseus, crossing 960 light-years of space. We come upon the nebula NGC 1333 that lies on the edge of a gigantic dark cloud of cold molecular hydrogen laced with soot-like dust. This raw material fuels a firestorm of star...

A vertical image with colors ranging from blue at the top to golden in the middle and red at the bottom. At the top, a bright blue star is illuminating surrounding clouds of gas, making the top third of the image appear blue. Below the bright star, a couple dozen fainter stars shine yellow. One of them has a fuzzy, golden arc to its left. At the center of the image, a brighter yellow star illuminates surrounding gas. It is partially obscured by dark streaks and clouds of dust, making it resemble the moon on a cloudy evening. The bottom of the image is noticeably darker than the rest, with the exception of a dramatic splash of red almost like a bug splat on a windshield. A handful of faint, red stars also appear there.

Take a Tour of NGC 1333

This is a video tour of the nebula NGC 1333 that lies on the edge of a gigantic dark cloud of cold molecular hydrogen laced with soot-like dust. This raw material fuels a firestorm of star birth taking place inside the dusty cocoon. Parts of it have broken through the veil of...

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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

Science Credit

NASA, ESA, STScI

Image Processing Credit

Varun Bajaj (STScI), Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Jennifer Mack (STScI)

Related Terms

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