This Hubble Space Telescope image shows the binary star system Stein 2051 on October 1, 2013, consisting of the brighter, redder "A" component at lower right and the fainter, bluer "B" component near the center, a white dwarf star. Because these stars are relatively close to Earth, only 17 light-years away, they appear to move in the sky relative to the much more distant background stars in several months of observations with Hubble. The wavy blue line traces this motion, due to their true motion relative to the sun combined with the parallax due to the motion of Earth around the sun. Stein 2051 B appeared to pass close enough to one of these background stars, labeled "source" that the light from the source star was bent due to the mass of the white dwarf star. This color image was made by combining images taken in two filters with Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3/UVIS) instrument.
Credits
NASA, ESA, and K. Sahu (STScI)| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | Stein 2051 B, WD 0426+588 |
| Object Description | White dwarf star |
| R.A. Position | 04h 31m 13s |
| Dec. Position | +58º 58' 41" |
| Constellation | Camelopardalis |
| Distance | 17 light-years, 5.5 parsecs |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description | The image was created from Hubble data from proposals and P.I. K. Sahu (STScI). |
| Instrument | WFC3/UVIS |
| Exposure Dates | Oct. 2013 - Oct. 2015 |
| Filters | F606W (wide V), F814W (I) |
| About The Image | |
| Color Info | This image is a composite of separate exposures acquired by the WFC3/UVIS instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope. Two filters were used to sample different wavelength ranges. 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: cyan F606W and orange F814W. |
| 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. |
