Hubble image archive
Cepheid Variable Star P42 in NGC 5468
At the center of these side-by-side images is a special class of star used as a milepost marker for measuring the universe’s rate of expansion – a Cepheid variable star. The two images are very pixelated because they are a very zoomed-in view of a distant galaxy. Each of the pixe...
- Date
- Mar 11, 2024
- Mission
- Hubble Space Telescope
- Archive ID
- hubblesite-images-2024-108-01hr59nw6cnedx4kj2286y3hdd
At the center of these side-by-side images is a special class of star used as a milepost marker for measuring the universe’s rate of expansion – a Cepheid variable star. The two images are very pixelated because they are a very zoomed-in view of a distant galaxy. Each of the pixels represents one or more stars. The image from the James Webb Space Telescope is significantly sharper at near-infrared wavelengths than Hubble (which is primarily a visible-ultraviolet light telescope). By reducing the clutter with Webb’s crisper vision, the Cepheid stands out more clearly, eliminating any potential confusion. Webb was used to look at a sample of Cepheids and confirmed the accuracy of the previous Hubble observations that are fundamental to precisely measuring the universe’s expansion rate and age.
Credits
Image
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Adam G. Riess (JHU, STScI)
Image Details
| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | Cephied P42 |
| Object Description | Cephied in NGC 5468 |
| R.A. Position | 14:06:35.01 |
| Dec. Position | -05:27:15.72 |
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Distance | About 130 million light-years |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description | This image was created with Webb and Hubble data from proposals: 1685 and 11570 (A. Riess). Image processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI). |
| Instrument | Hubble>WFC3/IR Webb>NIRCam |
| Exposure Dates | Hubble> 28 December 2017- 25 March 2018 Webb> 28 June 2023, 15 July 2023 |
| Filters | Hubble> F160W Webb> F150W |
| About The Image | |
| Color Info | The images are separate exposures acquired by the NIRCam instrument on the James Webb Space Telescope (left) and the WFC3/IR instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope (right). |
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Image and source material are credited to the official mission archive linked below.
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