How to Weigh a Black Hole Using NASA’s Webb Space Telescope
stsci_2018-37b September 12th, 2018
Credit: NASA, ESA, and J. DePasquale (STScI)
Galaxies and their central, supermassive black holes are inextricably linked. Both grow in lockstep for reasons that aren’t yet understood. To gain new insights, Webb will turn its infrared gaze to the center of a nearby galaxy called NGC 4151, whose supermassive black hole is actively feeding and glowing brightly. By measuring the motions of stars clustered around the black hole and comparing them to computer models, astronomers can determine the black hole’s mass. This challenging measurement will test the capabilities of Webb’s innovative instrument called an integral field unit.
Provider: Space Telescope Science Institute
Image Source: https://webbtelescope.org/contents/news-releases/2018/news-2018-37
Curator: STScI, Baltimore, MD, USA
Image Use Policy: http://hubblesite.org/copyright/
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Image Details
Distance
Position Details
Color Mapping
- ID
- 2018-37b
- Subject Category
- C.5.1.1 C.5.4.6
- Subject Name
- NGC 4151
- Credits
- NASA, ESA, and J. DePasquale (STScI)
- Release Date
- 2018-09-12T00:00:00
- Lightyears
- 62,000,000
- Redshift
- 62,000,000
- Reference Url
- https://webbtelescope.org/contents/news-releases/2018/news-2018-37
- Type
- Observation
- Image Quality
- Good
- Distance Notes
- Facility
- Hubble, Hubble, Hubble
- Instrument
- WFC3, WFC3, WFC3
- Color Assignment
- Orange, Cyan, Luminosity
- Band
- Optical, Optical, Optical
- Bandpass
- I, V, Long pass
- Central Wavelength
- 814, 555, 350
- Start Time
- Integration Time
- Dataset ID
- Notes
- Coordinate Frame
- ICRS
- Equinox
- 2000.0
- Reference Value
- 182.63529580000, 39.40518639000
- Reference Dimension
- 4699.00, 4890.00
- Reference Pixel
- 2440.43823442252, 2360.57777514259
- Scale
- -0.00000832975, 0.00000832975
- Rotation
- 21.61300537195
- 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
- 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-J-p1837b-f-4699x4890.tif
- Resource URL
- https://mast.stsci.edu/api/latest/Download/file?uri=mast:OPO/product/STSCI-J-p1837b-f-4699x4890.tif
- Related Resources
- Metadata Date
- 2022-06-20T11:50:01-04:00
- Metadata Version
- 1.2
Detailed color mapping information coming soon...
