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Beta Pictoris (MIRI Compass Image)
Annotated image of star system Beta Pictoris captured by Webb's MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument), with compass arrows, a scale bar, and color key for reference.
The north and east compass arrows show the orientation of the image on the sky. Note that the relationship between north and east on the sky (as seen from below) is flipped relative to direction arrows on a map of the ground (as seen from above).
The scale bar is labeled in astronomical units and arcseconds. One AU is the average Earth-Sun distance. (In our solar system, Neptune orbits 30 AU from the sun.) Arcseconds is a measure of angular distance on the sky. One arcsecond is equal to 1/3600 of one degree of arc. (The full Moon has an angular diameter of about 0.5 degrees.) The actual size of an object that covers one arcsecond on the sky depends on its distance from the telescope.
This image shows invisible mid-infrared wavelengths of light that have been translated into visible-light colors. The color key shows which MIRI filters were used when collecting the light. The color of each filter name is the visible light color used to represent the infrared light that passes through that filter.
Extended Description and Image Alt Text
Extended Description
Annotated image titled “James Webb Space Telescope, Beta Pictoris,” with compass arrows, scale bar, and color key.
Image
A thin, elongated horizontal orange line appears at the center of the frame, extending almost to the edges. This is a debris disk seen edge-on. A white line traces over the orange debris disk and is labeled “main disk plane.” A thin blue-green disk is inclined about five degrees counterclockwise relative to the orange main disk and is highlighted by a blue-green line labeled “extended secondary disk.” Cloudy, translucent gray material is most prominent near the orange main debris disk. Some of the gray material forms a curved feature in the upper right and is marked with a yellow line labeled “cat’s tail.” The central star, represented as a small white star icon, is blocked by an instrument known as a coronagraph, which forms a large black circle at center and two small disks pointing to the upper left and lower right. The background of space is black.
Compass Arrows, Scale Bar, and Color Key
At the top left are compass arrows indicating the orientation of the image on the sky. The north arrow points in the 10 o’clock direction. The east arrow points toward 7 o’clock. At the lower right is a scale bar labeled 100 A U, 5 arcseconds. Below the image is a color key showing which MIRI filters were used to create the image and which visible-light color is assigned to each filter. From left to right, MIRI filters are: F1550C is cyan; and F2300C is orange.
Image Alt Text
Annotated image of star system Beta Pictoris with compass arrows, scale bar, and color key. A thin, elongated horizontal orange line appears at the center of the frame, extending almost to the edges. This is a debris disk seen edge-on. A white line traces over the orange debris disk and is labeled “main disk plane.” A thin blue-green disk is inclined about five degrees counterclockwise relative to the orange main disk and is highlighted by a blue-green line labeled “extended secondary disk.” Cloudy, translucent gray material is most prominent near the orange main debris disk. Some of the gray material forms a curved feature in the upper right and is marked with a yellow line labeled “cat’s tail.” The central star, represented as a small white star icon, is blocked by an instrument known as a coronagraph, which forms a large black circle at center and two small disks pointing to the upper left and lower right. The background of space is black. In the lower right corner is a white bar labeled “100 A U."
About the Object
- R.A. PositionR.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.05:47:17.08
- Dec. PositionDec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.-51:03:59.43
- ConstellationConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.Pictor
- 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.63 light-years (19 parsecs)
- DimensionsDimensionsThe physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.Image is about 3.6 arcseconds across (712 au)
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 with Hubble data from proposal: 1411 (C. Stark). Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI).
- InstrumentInstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.MIRI
- Exposure DatesExposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.13 December 2022
- FiltersFiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.F1550C, F2300C
- Object NameObject NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.Beta Pictoris
- Object DescriptionObject DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.Debris disk
- Release DateJanuary 10, 2024
- Science ReleaseNASA’s Webb Discovers Dusty ‘Cat’s Tail’ in Beta Pictoris System
- CreditImage: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Christopher Stark (NASA-GSFC), Kellen Lawson (NASA-GSFC), Jens Kammerer (ESO), Marshall Perrin (STScI)
This image is a composite of separate exposures acquired by the James Webb Space Telescope using the MIRI instrument. Several filters were used to sample specfic wavelength ranges. 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: Cyan: F1550C Orange: F2300C
Related Images & Videos
Beta Pictoris (MIRI Image)
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Beta Pictoris (MIRI Annotated Image)
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Beta Pictoris Cat's Tail Animation
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Details
Laura Betz
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
laura.e.betz@nasa.gov
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Christopher Stark (NASA-GSFC), Kellen Lawson (NASA-GSFC), Jens Kammerer (ESO), Marshall Perrin (STScI)
