Suggested Searches

1 min read

Westerlund 2: Detail 1

Westerlund 2: Detail 1
The sparkling centerpiece of Hubble's silver anniversary tribute is Westerlund 2, a giant cluster of about 3,000 stars located 20,000 light-years away in the constellation Carina. Hubble's near-infrared imaging camera pierces through the dusty veil enshrouding the stellar nursery, giving astronomers a clear view of the dense concentration of stars in the central cluster. The 2-million-year-old giant star cluster measures about 6 to 13 light-years across and contains some of our galaxy's hottest, brightest, most massive stars.

About the Object

  • R.A. Position
    R.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.
    10h 23m 58.1s
  • Dec. Position
    Dec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.
    -57° 45' 48.96"
  • Constellation
    ConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.
    Carina
  • 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.
    20,000 light-years (6,130 parsecs)

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.
    Data of Westerlund 2 were obtained from the HST proposals 13038: A. Nota (ESA/STScI), E. Sabbi and C. Christian (STScI), E. Grebel and P. Zeidler (Astronomisches Rechen-Institut, Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg), M. Tosi (INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna), A. Bonanos (National Observatory of Athens, Astronomical Institute), and S. de Mink (University of Amsterdam); and 14039: Z. Levay, M. Mutchler, J. Mack, L. Frattare, S. Meyett, M. Livio, and C. Christian (STScI/AURA), K. Noll (NASA/GSFC), A. Nota (STScI/ESA), and E. Sabbi (STScI).
  • Instrument
    InstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.
    HST>ACS/WFC and HST>WFC3/IR
  • Exposure Dates
    Exposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.
    September 2013 - November 2014, Total Exposure Time: 23,074 seconds
  • Filters
    FiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.
    ACS/WFC: F555W (V) and F814W (I) WFC3/IR: F125W (J)
  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    Westerlund 2, Gum 29
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    Cluster and Starforming Region
  • Release Date
    April 23, 2015
  • Science Release
    Hubble Space Telescope Celebrates 25 Years of Unveiling the Universe
  • Credit
    NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), A. Nota (ESA/STScI), and the Westerlund 2 Science Team

Downloads

  • 200 × 200
    jpg (36.07 KB)
  • 3000 × 2000
    jpg (5.45 MB)
  • 3000 × 2000
    tif (10.31 MB)
  • 1200 × 800
    jpg (484.63 KB)
  • 400 × 267
    jpg (85.57 KB)
  • 1280 × 853
    jpg (1.35 MB)

Share

Details

Last Updated
Mar 28, 2025
Contact
Media

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