This image displays several merging galaxies (identified by the green circles) found in different regions of a large survey known as the All-Wavelength Extended Groth Strip International Survey (AEGIS). Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys took the image in 2004 and 2005. The galaxies reside at a range of distances from Earth, from 2.4 billion to 6.2 billion light-years away.
By studying many galaxy interactions at various distances from Earth, astronomers can measure the rate at which galaxies merge over time. This information yields important clues about how galaxies have changed throughout the universe's history.
Credits
Illustration: NASA, ESA, and Z. Levay (STScI);Science: NASA, ESA, and J. Lotz (STScI)
| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | Extended Groth Strip (EGS), and merging galaxies |
| Object Description | Merging Galaxies from the All-Wavelength Extended Groth Strip International Survey (AEGIS) |
| R.A. Position | 14h 17m |
| Dec. Position | +52° 30' |
| Constellation | Boötes |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description | The images released with this science finding were created from HST data from proposal : M. Davis (University of California, Berkeley). Notes: The science team for this release comprises: J. Lotz (STScI), P. Jonsson (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), T. J. Cox (Carnegie Observatories), D. Croton (Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing/Swinburne University), J. Primack (University of California, Santa Cruz), R. Somerville (STScI/JHU), and K. Stewart (NASA/JPL). The surveys used in this study include: COSMOS (HST; PI: N. Scoville; HST Archival Data), GEMS (PI: H.-W. Rix; HST Archival Data), GOODS (PI: M. Giavalisco; HST Archival Data), AEGIS (PI: M. Davis; HST Archival Data), HUDF (PI: S. Beckwith; HST Archival Data), and DEEP2 (PI: M. Davis; Keck Survey). |
| Instrument | HST>ACS/WFC |
| Exposure Dates | June 2004 – March 2005 |
| Filters | F555W (V) and F814W (I) |
| About The Image | |
| Color Info | This image is a composite of many separate exposures made by the ACS/WFC instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope using two different filters that isolate broad wavelengths. The color results from assigning different hues (colors) to each monochromatic image. In this case, the assigned colors are: Blue: F555W (V) Green: F555W (V) + F814W (I) Red: F814W (I) |
| 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. |
