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Spiral Galaxy NGC 3949: A Galaxy Similar to the Milky Way
Our Sun and solar system are embedded in a broad pancake of stars deep within the disk of the Milky Way galaxy. Even from a distance, it is impossible to see our galaxy's large-scale features other than the disk.
The next best thing is to look farther out into the universe at galaxies that are similar in shape and structure to our home galaxy. Other spiral galaxies like NGC 3949, pictured in the Hubble image, fit the bill. Like our Milky Way, this galaxy has a blue disk of young stars peppered with bright pink star-birth regions. In contrast to the blue disk, the bright central bulge is made up of mostly older, redder stars.
NGC 3949 lies about 50 million light-years from Earth. It is a member of a loose cluster of some six or seven dozens of galaxies located in the direction of the Big Dipper, in the constellation Ursa Major (the Great Bear). It is one of the larger galaxies of this cluster.
This image was created from Hubble data taken with the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 in October 2001. Separate exposures through blue, visible, and near-infrared filters have been combined to make the natural color picture. This image was produced by the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI).
About the Object
- R.A. PositionR.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.11h 53m 41.37s
- Dec. PositionDec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.47° 51' 31.59"
- ConstellationConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.Ursa Major
- 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.Approximately 50 million light-years (15 Megaparsecs)
- DimensionsDimensionsThe physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.This image is roughly 2 arcminutes wide (30,000 light-years or 9000 parsecs).
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.This image was created from HST data from proposal 9042: S. Smartt (The Queen's University of Belfast). J. Danziger (INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste), G. Gilmore, S. Hodgekin, C. Tout, and N. Trentham (University of Cambridge). - 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.October 1, 2001, Exposure Time: 16 minutes
- FiltersFiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.F450W (B), F606W (V), F814W (I)
- Object NameObject NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.NGC 3949
- Object DescriptionObject DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.Spiral Galaxy
- Release DateAugust 5, 2004
- Science ReleaseHubble Images Majestic Cousin of the Milky Way
- CreditNASA, ESA and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA); Acknowledgment: S. Smartt (The Queen's University of Belfast)
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Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov
