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Stephan’s Quintet (NIRCam and MIRI Composite Compass Image)
Image of Stephan's Quintet, HCG 92, captured by Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), with compass arrows, 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 light-years, which is the distance that light travels in one Earth-year. (It takes 100,000 years for light to travel a distance equal to the length of the bar.) One light-year is equal to about 5.88 trillion miles or 9.46 trillion kilometers. The field of view shown in this image is approximately 620,000 light-years across.
This image shows invisible near- and mid-infrared wavelengths of light that have been translated into visible-light colors. The color key shows which NIRCam and 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
Image titled “James Webb Space Telescope; Stephan’s Quintet HCG 92,” with compass arrows, scale bar, and color key.
Image
Image of a group of five galaxies that appear close to each other in the sky: two in the middle, one toward the top, one to the upper left, and one toward the bottom. Four of the five appear to be touching. One is somewhat separated. In the image, the galaxies are large relative to the hundreds of much smaller (more distant) galaxies in the background. All five galaxies have bright white cores. Each has a slightly different size, shape, structure, and coloring.
At the center of the image are two bright galaxy cores with orange wisps surrounded by a cloud-like aura of white. The cores are close to each other and there is no clear boundary between the galaxies. The top galaxy of the pair has two spiral arms and the other is more elliptical in shape.
The galaxy toward the top of the image has a bright central core, surrounded by orange wisps and tendrils. The core is surrounded by a thin cloud-like aura of white that forms a diffuse spiral arm-like structures that trails off toward the upper left.
Between the top and center galaxies is a large region of bright orange.
The galaxy toward the bottom of the image sits alone, not appearing to touch any of the other four. It is nearly circular in shape and has a bright core surrounded by a cloud-like aura of white. This galaxy is almost completely white: No orange wisps or arms are apparent.
The galaxy toward the upper left has a fuzzy oval shape, with more distinct points of light than are apparent in the other four galaxies. Within the oval is a bright core with orange wisps and a vague spiral structure. The core of this galaxy is not as bright or distinct as the cores of the other four galaxies.
In the background of the image are numerous smaller, more distant galaxies of various colors, shapes, sizes, and brightness. Scattered across the image, in front of the galaxies are number of foreground stars with diffraction spikes: bright white points, each with eight bright lines radiating out from the center. The sizes of the stars and diffraction spikes vary. Some are superimposed on the large galaxies. The largest is to the upper right of the group of galaxies.
Compass Arrows, Scale Bar, and Color Key
At the bottom left are compass arrows indicating the orientation of the image on the sky. The north arrow points in the 2 o’clock direction. The east arrow points toward 11 o’clock. At the lower right is a scale bar labeled 100,000 light-years. The length of the scale bar is about one-fifth the total width of the image. Below the image is a color key showing which NIRCam and MIRI filters were used to create the image and which visible-light color is assigned to each filter. The NIRCam filters from left to right: F090W is blue; F150W is blue; F200W is green; F277W is yellow; F356W is red; and F444W is also red. The MIRI filters from left to right: F770W is orange; F1000W is red.
Image Alt Text
Colorful image of the near- and mid-infrared light of a group of galaxies, with hundreds of background galaxies and numerous foreground stars, with compass arrows, scale bar, and color key.
About the Object
- R.A. PositionR.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.22:35:57.49
- Dec. PositionDec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.33:57:36.0
- ConstellationConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.Pegasus
- 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.290 million light-years (89 million parsecs)
- DimensionsDimensionsThe physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.Image is about 7.4 arcmin across (about 620,000 light-years)
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 Webb data from proposal 2732 . It is part of Webb Early Release Observations.
The Early Release Observations and associated materials were developed, executed, and compiled by the ERO production team:
Jaclyn Barrientes, Claire Blome, Hannah Braun, Matthew Brown, Margaret Carruthers, Dan Coe, Joseph DePasquale, Nestor Espinoza, Macarena Garcia Marin, Karl Gordon, Alaina Henry, Leah Hustak, Andi James, Ann Jenkins, Anton Koekemoer, Stephanie LaMassa, David Law, Alexandra Lockwood, Amaya Moro-Martin, Susan Mullally, Alyssa Pagan, Dani Player, Klaus Pontoppidan, Charles Proffitt, Christine Pulliam, Leah Ramsay, Swara Ravindranath, Neill Reid, Massimo Robberto, Elena Sabbi, Leonardo Ubeda.
The EROs were also made possible by the foundational efforts and support from the JWST instruments, STScI planning and scheduling, Data Management teams, and Office of Public Outreach.
- InstrumentInstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.NIRCam, MIRI
- Exposure DatesExposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.NIRCam: 11 June 2022; MIRI: 11-12 June, 1 July 2022
- FiltersFiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.NIRCam>F090W, F150W, F200W, F277W, F365W, F444W MIRI>F770W, F1000W
- Object NameObject NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.Stephan’s Quintet, Hickson Compact Group (HCG) 92, NGC 7318A, NGC 7318B, NGC 7319, NGC 7320
- Object DescriptionObject DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.Interacting Galaxy Group
- Release DateJuly 12, 2022
- Science ReleaseNASA’s Webb Sheds Light on Galaxy Evolution, Black Holes
- CreditImage: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI
These images are a composite of separate exposures acquired by the James Webb Space Telescope using the MIRI and NIRCam instruments. Several filters were used to sample broad 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: Red: F356W+ F444W Orange: F1000W Yellow: F277W + F770W Green: F200W Blue: F090W + F150W
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Image of Stephan's Quintet, HCG 92, captured by Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), with compass arrows, 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...
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Laura Betz
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
laura.e.betz@nasa.gov
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI
