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WFPC2 V and I image of NGC 6369

WFPC2 V and I image of NGC 6369

About the Object

  • R.A. Position
    R.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.
    17h 29m 20.4s
  • Dec. Position
    Dec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.
    -23° 45' 37.9"
  • Constellation
    ConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.
    Ophiuchus
  • 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.
    2,000 - 5,000 light-years (600 - 1,500 parsecs)
  • Dimensions
    DimensionsThe physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.
    This image is 2.4 arcminutes across. At a distance of 3,500 light-years, this width corresponds to 2.5 light-years (0.75 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.
    Principal Astronomers: Hubble Heritage Team: K. Noll, H. Bond, C. Christian, L. Frattare, F. Hamilton, J. Lee, Z. Levay, E. Masiello, P. Royle (STScI), T. Borders (Sonoma State, CA) Scale Note: The scale bar of 0.3 parsec/1 light-year assumes a distance to NGC 6369 of 3,500 light-years.
  • 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.
    February 27, 2002, Exposure Time: 51 minutes
  • Filters
    FiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.
    F555W (V) and F814W (I)
  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    NGC 6369, The Little Ghost Nebula
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    Planetary Nebula
  • Release Date
    November 7, 2002
  • Science Release
    An Old Star Gives Up the Ghost
    Read the release
  • Credit
    NASA and H. Bond (STScI)

Downloads

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Related Images & Videos

At the center is a single star surrounded by rings of mottled gas.

An Old Star Gives Up the Ghost

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has recently obtained images of the planetary nebula NGC 6369. This object is known to amateur astronomers as the "Little Ghost Nebula," because it appears as a small, ghostly cloud surrounding the faint, dying central star. NGC 6369 lies in the...

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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

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