Compass and Scale Image of NGC 6302

Compass and Scale Image of NGC 6302

Credits

NASA, ESA, and the Hubble SM4 ERO Team

About The Object
Object Name NGC 6302, Butterfly Nebula, Bug Nebula
Object Description Planetary Nebula
R.A. Position 17h 13m 43.29s
Dec. Position -37° 6' 9.99"
Constellation Scorpius
Distance 3,800 light-years (1,200 parsecs)
Dimensions This image is 2.4 arcminutes (2.7 light-years or 0.8 parsecs) wide.
About The Data
Data Description The Hubble images were created from data from proposal : K. Noll and H. Bond (STScI) and B. Balick (University of Washington). Acknowledgments for NGC 6302 Observers: K. Noll and H. Bond (STScI) and B. Balick (University of Washington) Data Analysis: H. Bushouse, J. Anderson, and M. Mutchler (STScI) Image Composition: Z. Levay and L. Frattare (STScI) Text: L. Frattare, D. Weaver, and R. Villard (STScI) Illustrations: Z. Levay (STScI) Science Consultants: M. Livio and H. Bond (STScI)
Instrument HST>WFC3/UVIS
Exposure Dates July 27, 2009, Exposure Time: 6.5 hours
Filters F373N ([O II]), F469N (He II), F502N ([O III]), F656N (H-alpha), F658N ([N II]), and F673N ([S II])
About The Image
Color Info The image is a composite of separate exposures made by the WFC3 instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope. Six filters were used to sample narrow wavelength ranges. The color results from assigning different hues (colors) to each monochromatic image. In this case, the assigned colors are: White: F673N ([S II]) Orange: F658N ([N II]) Brown: F656N (H-alpha) Cyan: F502N ([O III]) Blue: F469N (He II) Purple: F373N ([O II])
Compass Image Compass and Scale Image of NGC 6302
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
  • Proposal: 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.
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.

Download