Compass Image for Comet C/2017 K2

 Compass Image for Comet C/2017 K2

Credits

NASA, ESA, and D. Jewitt (UCLA)

About The Object
Object Name C/2017 K2
Object Description Primordial comet
R.A. Position 17 31 52.239
Dec. Position +64 35 39.52
Distance 15.82AU at the time of observation
Dimensions The image is about 40 arcseconds across, about 16.3 million miles (26.3 million kilometers) at the distance of the comet.
About The Data
Data Description Data were provided by the HST proposals (D. Jewett, P.I.).
Instrument WFC3/UVIS
Exposure Dates June 27, 2017
Filters F350LP
About The Image
Color Info These images represent several exposures acquired by the WFC3/UVIS instrument through the F350LP filter on the Hubble Space Telescope. Color has been applied to the grayscale (black&white) images; the brightness maps to different color values.
Compass Image Compass Image for Comet C/2017 K2
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.