Hubble image archive
Westerlund 2: Detail 1
The sparkling centerpiece of Hubble's silver anniversary tribute is Westerlund 2, a giant cluster of about 3,000 stars located 20,000 light-years away in the constellation Carina. Hubble's near-infrared imaging camera pierces through the dusty veil enshrouding the stellar nursery...
- Date
- Jan 1, 2015
- Mission
- Hubble Space Telescope
- Archive ID
- hubblesite-images-2015-12-3521-image
The sparkling centerpiece of Hubble's silver anniversary tribute is Westerlund 2, a giant cluster of about 3,000 stars located 20,000 light-years away in the constellation Carina. Hubble's near-infrared imaging camera pierces through the dusty veil enshrouding the stellar nursery, giving astronomers a clear view of the dense concentration of stars in the central cluster. The 2-million-year-old giant star cluster measures about 6 to 13 light-years across and contains some of our galaxy's hottest, brightest, most massive 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) |
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Image and source material are credited to the official mission archive linked below.
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