This simulated image of a portion of the Andromeda galaxy highlights the high resolution, large field of view, and unique footprint of NASA’s upcoming Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST).
Made using data from the Panchromatic Hubble Andromeda Treasury (PHAT) program, the image spans approximately 34,000 light-years, or about 1/5 of the full disk of Andromeda, showcasing the red and near-infrared light of more than 50 million individual stars. Red and green represent near-infrared light, while blue represents visible red light.
The image runs from the edge of the bright core of the galaxy on the lower left, out along and across several of the galaxy’s spiral arms in the middle and right.
WFIRST’s Wide Field Instrument (WFI) consists of 18 square detectors, each with 4096 × 4096 pixels. The area imaged by each detector is outlined in white. In total, the footprint covers about 0.28 square degrees of the sky, or about 1⅓ times the area covered by the full Moon, and represents the area that will be imaged in a single pointing of WFIRST (not 18 separate pointings). For comparison, Hubble’s infrared camera covers less than 1/150th the area covered by the full Moon.
The black space between the white outlines represents chip gaps: areas between detectors where data are not recorded. When WFIRST is operating, these gaps can be filled by moving the telescope slightly and combining exposures.
The black regions within some of the detector squares are gaps in the Hubble PHAT data used to create the simulated image. In an actual WFIRST image of Andromeda, each square would be completely filled with near-infrared light from the stars, gas, and dust of the galaxy.
Credits
NASA, STScI, and B.F. Williams (University of Washington)| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | M31, Andromeda Galaxy, NGC 224 |
| Object Description | Spiral Galaxy |
| R.A. Position | 00:42 |
| Dec. Position | +41:15 |
| Constellation | Andromeda |
| Distance | 2.5 million light-years |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description | Simulated WFIRST data generated using the Space Telescope Image Product Simulator (STIPS), based on near-infrared Hubble data from the PHAT program. |
| Instrument | WFIRST Wide Field Instrument (Simulated) |
| About The Image | |
| Color Info | This image is a composite of simulated data from three separate filters on the Wide Field Instrument on the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope. 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: R062 (visible red light; 0.62 microns) • Green: Y106 (near-infrared light; 1.06 microns) • Red: H158 (near-infrared light; 1.58 microns) |
| 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. |
