Young, Hot Stars in a Spiral Arm of the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51)

stsci_2005-12d April 25th, 2005

Credit: NASA, ESA, S. Beckwith (STScI), and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

A detail of the Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) showing a small part of one spiral arm. It reveals brilliant, blue clusters of young, hot stars embedded in vast clouds of glowing gas and darker dust.

Provider: Space Telescope Science Institute

Image Source: https://hubblesite.org/contents/news-releases/2005/news-2005-12

Curator: STScI, Baltimore, MD, USA

Image Use Policy: http://hubblesite.org/copyright/

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Image Details

Image Type: Observation
Object Name: Whirlpool Galaxy • M51 • NGC 5194/5
Subject - Local Universe: Galaxy > Type > Interacting; Galaxy > Grouping > Multiple; Galaxy > Type > Spiral

Distance

31,000,000 light years

Position Details

Position (ICRS): RA = 13h 30m 7.4s; DEC = 47° 16’ 11.2”
Orientation: North is 90.2° CW
Field of View: 1.1 x 0.8 arcminutes
Constellation: Canes Venatici

Color Mapping

	Telescope	Spectral Band	Wavelength
	Hubble (ACS)	Optical (B)	435.0 nm
	Hubble (ACS)	Optical (V)	555.0 nm
	Hubble (ACS)	Optical (Halpha [N II])	658.0 nm
	Hubble (ACS)	Optical (I)	814.0 nm
November 4 - 7, 2004

ID: 2005-12d
Subject Category: C.5.1.7 C.5.5.2 C.5.1.1
Subject Name: Whirlpool Galaxy, M51, NGC 5194/5
Credits: NASA, ESA, S. Beckwith (STScI), and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

Release Date: 2005-04-25T00:00:00
Lightyears: 31,000,000
Redshift: 31,000,000
Reference Url: https://hubblesite.org/contents/news-releases/2005/news-2005-12

Type: Observation
Image Quality: Good
Distance Notes: About 31 million light-years (9.6 Megaparsecs)

Facility: Hubble, Hubble, Hubble, Hubble
Instrument: ACS, ACS, ACS, ACS
Color Assignment: Blue, Green, Red, Red

Band: Optical, Optical, Optical, Optical
Bandpass: B, V, Halpha [N II], I
Central Wavelength: 435, 555, 658, 814

Start Time: 2005-01-12T00:00:00, 2005-01-12T00:00:00, 2005-01-12T00:00:00, 2005-01-12T00:00:00
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes: N

Coordinate Frame: ICRS
Equinox: 2000.0
Reference Value: 202.53088298880, 47.26978113664
Reference Dimension: 1280.00, 960.00

Reference Pixel: -4953.14399187240, 674.67296260087
Scale: -0.00001387446, 0.00001387446
Rotation: -90.18815630928
Coordinate System Projection:: TAN

Quality: Full
FITS Header
Notes: World Coordinate System resolved using PinpointWCS 0.9.2 revision 218+ by the Chandra X-ray Center

Creator (Curator): STScI
URL: http://hubblesite.org
Name: Space Telescope Science Institute Office of Public Outreach
Email: outreach@stsci.edu

Telephone: 410-338-4444
Address: 3700 San Martin Drive
City: Baltimore
State/Province: MD

Postal Code: 21218
Country: USA
Rights: http://hubblesite.org/copyright/

Publisher: STScI
Publisher ID: stsci
Resource ID: STSCI-H-p0512d-f-1280x960.tif

Resource URL: https://mast.stsci.edu/api/latest/Download/file?uri=mast:OPO/product/STSCI-H-p0512d-f-1280x960.tif
Related Resources: http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2005/12

Metadata Date: 2022-07-06T00:00:00
Metadata Version: 1.2

Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

31,000,000 light years