This graphic compares visible-light and infrared views of the same detailed area in the star-forming nebula NGC 2174 from the Hubble Space Telescope. On the left is a visible-light image made by WFPC2 in 2001 and on the right is an image made by the WFC3 infrared camera. Infrared light penetrates more dust and gas than visible light, allowing main details to become visible. A jet of material from a newly forming star is visible in one of the pillars, just above and left of center in the right-hand image. Several galaxies are seen in the infrared view, much more distant than the columns of dust and gas.
Credits
NASA and ESA;Acknowledgment: The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) and J. Hester
| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | NGC 2174, Monkey Head Nebula, Sharpless Sh2-252 |
| Object Description | Star-forming Region |
| R.A. Position | 06h 9m 10.0s |
| Dec. Position | 20° 27' 20.0" |
| Constellation | Orion |
| Distance | 6,400 light-years (2,000 parsecs) |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description | The Hubble data are from proposal : Hubble Heritage Team/STScI/AURA: Z. Levay (PI; STScI), K. Noll (GSFC), and M. Mutchler, J. Mack, C. Christian, M. Livio, L. Frattare, J. Sokol, and S. Meyett (STScI). High-level science products for these data are available from the |
| Instrument | HST>WFPC (left) and HST>WFC3/IR (right) |
| Exposure Dates | 2001 (left) and 2014 (right) |
| About The Image | |
| 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. |
