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VLA Radio Image of Hercules A (3C 348)

VLA Radio Image of Hercules A (3C 348)
This VLA radio composite image shows the active galaxy 3C 348, also known as Hercules A. The VLA data, which record frequencies from 4-9 GHz, were taken in 2010-2011.

About the Object

  • R.A. Position
    R.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.
    16h 51m 8.14s
  • Dec. Position
    Dec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.
    04° 59' 33.32"
  • Constellation
    ConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.
    Hercules
  • 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.
    2.1 billion light-years (637 million parsecs or redshift z = 0.156)

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 image was created from Hubble data from proposal 13065: S. Baum and C. O'Dea (Rochester Institute of Technology) and J. Stoke and F. Lo (Associated Universities, Inc.). Notes:The VLA data are from the National Radio Astronomy Observatory observation project TDEM0011: R. Perley, W. Cotton, and U. Rao (NRAO/AUI/NSF). These data were taken August 2010 through September 2011. Frequencies 4-9 GHz were measured.
  • Instrument
    InstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.
    National Radio Astronomy Observatory VLA
  • Filters
    FiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.
    C Band Low (4-6 GHz), C Band High (6-8 GHz), and X Band Low (8-9 GHz)
  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    Hercules A, Herc A, 3C 348
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    Active Galaxy; Radio Galaxy
  • Release Date
    November 29, 2012
  • Science Release
    A Multi-Wavelength View of Radio Galaxy Hercules A
    Read the release
  • Credit
    R. Perley and W. Cotton (NRAO/AUI/NSF)

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VLA Radio Image of Hercules A (3C 348)
Color Info
Color InfoA brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented.

This image is a composite of separate exposures acquired by the VLA. Several filters were used to sample various wavelengths/frequencies. 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: Red: VLA C Band Low (4-6 GHz) Green: VLA C Band High (6-8 GHz) Blue: VLA X Band Low (8-9 GHz)

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Last Updated
Feb 17, 2025
Contact
Media

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

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