This is the first image of a celestial object taken with the newly repaired Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). The camera was restored to operation during the STS-125 servicing mission to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope.
The barred spiral galaxy NGC 6217 was photographed on June 13 and July 8, 2009, as part of the initial testing and calibration of Hubble's ACS. The galaxy lies 60 million light-years away in the north circumpolar constellation Ursa Major.
Credits
NASA, ESA, and the Hubble SM4 ERO Team| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | NGC 6217 |
| Object Description | Barred Spiral Galaxy |
| R.A. Position | 16h 32m 39.19s |
| Dec. Position | 78° 11' 53.0" |
| Constellation | Ursa Minor |
| Distance | 60 million light-years or 21 million parsecs |
| Dimensions | This image is 2.2 arcminutes (44,000 light-years or 13,400 parsecs) wide. |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description | The Hubble images were created from data from the calibration proposal : M. Sirianni (STScI/ESA), M. Chiaberge (STScI/ESA/INAF), A. Suchkov (Johns Hopkins University), and N. Grogin (STScI). Acknowledgments for NGC 6217 Observers: M. Sirianni (STScI/ESA), M. Chiaberge (STScI/ESA/INAF), A. Suchkov (Johns Hopkins University), and N. Grogin (STScI) Data Analysis: M. Mutchler (STScI) Image Composition: Z. Levay and L. Frattare (STScI) Text: D. Weaver and R. Villard (STScI) Illustrations: Z. Levay (STScI) Video: G. Bacon (STScI) Science Consultant: K. Noll (STScI) |
| Instrument | HST>ACS/WFC |
| Exposure Dates | June-July 2009, Exposure Time: 3.0 hours |
| Filters | F435W (g), F625W (r), F658N (H-alpha + [N II]), and F814W (I) |
| About The Image | |
| Color Info | The image is a composite of separate exposures made by the ACS instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope. Four filters were used to sample broad and narrow wavelength ranges. The color results from assigning different hues (colors) to each monochromatic image. In this case, the assigned colors are: Red: F814W (I) + F658N (H-alpha + [N II]) Green: F625W (r) Blue: F435W (g) |
| Compass Image |  |
| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | A name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object. |
| Object Description | The type of astronomical object. |
| R.A. Position | Right ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position. |
| Dec. Position | Declination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position. |
| Constellation | One of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears. |
| Distance | The 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. |
| Dimensions | The physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky. |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description |
|
| Instrument | The science instrument used to produce the data. |
| Exposure Dates | The date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time. |
| Filters | The camera filters that were used in the science observations. |
| About The Image | |
| Image Credit | The primary individuals and institutions responsible for the content. |
| Publication Date | The date and time the release content became public. |
| Color Info | A brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented. |
| Orientation | The rotation of the image on the sky with respect to the north pole of the celestial sphere. |
