Suggested Searches

 

1 min read

NGC 4438

NGC 4438

About the Object

  • R.A. Position
    R.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.
    12h 27m 45.91s
  • Dec. Position
    Dec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.
    13° 0' 32.29"
  • Constellation
    ConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.
    Virgo
  • 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.
    About 16 Mpc (50 million light-years)
  • Dimensions
    DimensionsThe physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.
    The detailed image is 32 arcseconds (about 2500 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.
    Principal Astronomer: J. Kenney (Yale University)
  • 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.
    March 24, 1999, Exposure Time: 4 hours
  • Filters
    FiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.
    F814W (I), F675W (R), F450W (B), F656N (H-alpha), F658N ([N II])
  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    NGC 4438, Arp 120
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    Peculiar Galaxy
  • Release Date
    June 5, 2000
  • Science Release
    Feasting Black Hole Blows Bubbles
    Read the release
  • Credit
    NASA and Jeffrey Kenney and Elizabeth Yale (Yale University)

Downloads

  • 316 × 245
    jpg (85.39 KB)
  • 316 × 245
    tif (231.85 KB)
  • 200 × 200
    jpg (5.86 KB)

Related Images & Videos

Feasting Black Hole Blows Bubbles from Galaxy NGC 4438

Feasting Black Hole Blows Bubbles from Galaxy NGC 4438

A monstrous black hole's rude table manners include blowing huge bubbles of hot gas into space. At least, that's the gustatory practice followed by the supermassive black hole residing in the hub of the nearby galaxy NGC 4438. Known as a peculiar galaxy because of its unusual...

Galaxy NGC 4438

Galaxy NGC 4438

Share

Details

Last Updated
Mar 14, 2025
Contact
Media

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

Related Terms

Keep Exploring

Discover More Topics From NASA

Hubble Space Telescope

Since its 1990 launch, the Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe.

Hubble Science Highlights

Hubble Images

Hubble News