This multiframe, mosaic, wide-field image of M106 was created as an experiment in using the Hubble Legacy Archive as a clearing house for Hubble Space Telescope data of the galaxy. WFC3, ACS, and WFPC2 Hubble data of the nucleus and inner spiral arms were combined with ground-based red-green-blue images of M106 taken by astrophotographers Robert Gendler and Jay GaBany. Their 12.5-inch and 20-inch telescopes are located at very dark, remote sites in New Mexico. The Hubble Legacy Archive provides public access to Hubble data. Gendler processed the Hubble and ground-based images into this stunning view of the galaxy. The image is also being released at Gendler's astro imaging website at: http://www.robgendlerastropics.com/M106-HST.html .
Credits
R. Gendler;Acknowledgment: J. GaBany
| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | M106, NGC 4258 |
| Object Description | Spiral galaxy |
| R.A. Position | 12h 18m 57.49s |
| Dec. Position | 47° 18' 14.29" |
| Constellation | Canes Venatici |
| Distance | 23.5 million light-years (7,000,000 parsecs) |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description | Note: Ground-based image data provided by R. Gendler and J. GaBany was used to fill in or supplement areas where HST data did not exist or was limited. The image was created from Hubble data from proposal : A. Riess (STScI) and collaborators. Other ACS and WFPC2 datasets from various other proposals were used to augment this proposal's data. |
| Instrument | HST>ACS/WFC, HST>WFPC2, HST>WFC3/UVIS and Ground-based |
| Filters | ACS/WFC: F435W (G), F555W (V), F606W (V), and F814W (I) WFPC2: F656N (H-alpha) WFC3/UVIS: F555W (V) and F814W (I) ACS/WFC: F814W (I) Ground-based: 656nm (H-alpha) |
| About The Image | |
| Color Info | This image is a composite of separate exposures acquired by various Hubble instruments and ground-based telescopes. Several filters were used to sample various wavelengths/frequencies. 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: Blue: ACS/WFC F435W (G) Green: WFC3/UVIS F555W (V) + ACS/WFC F555W (V) + ACS/WFC F606W (V) Red: Ground-based 656nm (H-alpha) + WFPC2 F656N (H-alpha) + ACS/WFC F814W (I) + WFC3/UVIS F814W (I) Luminosity: ACS/WFC F814W (I) |
| 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. |
