Hubble image archive
Westerlund 2: Detail 4
The red dots scattered throughout the landscape around Westerlund 2 are a rich population of newly forming stars still wrapped in their gas-and-dust cocoons. These tiny, faint stars are between 1 million and 2 million years old and have not yet ignited the hydrogen in their cores...
- Date
- Jan 1, 2015
- Mission
- Hubble Space Telescope
- Archive ID
- hubblesite-images-2015-12-3522-image
The red dots scattered throughout the landscape around Westerlund 2 are a rich population of newly forming stars still wrapped in their gas-and-dust cocoons. These tiny, faint stars are between 1 million and 2 million years old and have not yet ignited the hydrogen in their cores. Hubble's near-infrared vision allows astronomers to identify these fledgling stars.
Credits
NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), A. Nota (ESA/STScI), and the Westerlund 2 Science TeamImage Details
| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | Westerlund 2, Gum 29 |
| Object Description | Cluster and Starforming Region |
| R.A. Position | 10h 23m 58.1s |
| Dec. Position | -57° 45' 48.96" |
| Constellation | Carina |
| Distance | 20,000 light-years (6,130 parsecs) |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description | Data of Westerlund 2 were obtained from the HST proposals : A. Nota (ESA/STScI), E. Sabbi and C. Christian (STScI), E. Grebel and P. Zeidler (Astronomisches Rechen-Institut, Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg), M. Tosi (INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna), A. Bonanos (National Observatory of Athens, Astronomical Institute), and S. de Mink (University of Amsterdam); and : Z. Levay, M. Mutchler, J. Mack, L. Frattare, S. Meyett, M. Livio, and C. Christian (STScI/AURA), K. Noll (NASA/GSFC), A. Nota (STScI/ESA), and E. Sabbi (STScI). |
| Instrument | HST>ACS/WFC and HST>WFC3/IR |
| Exposure Dates | September 2013 - November 2014, Total Exposure Time: 23,074 seconds |
| Filters | ACS/WFC: F555W (V) and F814W (I) WFC3/IR: F125W (J) |
| About The Image | |
| Color Info | These images are composites of separate exposures acquired by the ACS and the WFC3 instruments on the Hubble Space Telescope. Several filters were used to sample broad and narrow 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: Blue: F555W (V) Green: F555W (V) and F814W (I) Red: F814W (I) |
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