Herbig-Haro 46/47 (NIRCam Compass Image)

 Herbig-Haro 46/47 (NIRCam Compass Image)

Six near-infrared images from NIRCam (the Near-Infrared Camera) aboard the James Webb Space Telescope make up this composite of Herbig-Haro 46/47.

The north and east compass arrows show the orientation of the image on the sky. Note that the relationship between north and east on the sky (as seen from below) is flipped relative to direction arrows on a map of the ground (as seen from above).

This image shows invisible near-infrared wavelengths of light that have been translated into visible-light colors. The color key shows which NIRCam filters were used when collecting the light. The color of each filter name is the visible-light color used to represent the infrared light that passes through that filter. 

The scale bar is labeled in arcminutes, which is a measure of angular distance on the sky. One arcminute is equal an angular measurement equal to 1/60 of one degree. (The full Moon has an angular diameter of about 30 arcminutes.) The actual size of an object that covers one arcminute on the sky depends on its distance from the telescope.

Read a full description of the image.

Credits

Image

NASA, ESA, CSA

Image Processing

Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Anton M. Koekemoer (STScI)

About The Object
Object Name HH 46/47
Object Description A complex of Herbig-Haro objects
R.A. Position 08:25:43.6
Dec. Position -50:00:36
Constellation Vela
Distance 1470 light-years
Dimensions Image is 7.3 arcmin across (about 3.1 light-years)
About The Data
Data Description This image was created from JWST data from proposal: (K. Pontoppidan)
Instrument NIRCam
Exposure Dates May 24, 2023
Filters F115W, F187N, F200W, F335M, F444W, F470N
About The Image
Color Info These images are a composite of separate exposures acquired by the James Webb Space Telescope using the NIRCam instrument. Several filters were used to sample specific 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: F115W, Cyan: F187N, Green: F200W, Yellow: F335M, Orange: F444W, Red: F470N
About The Object
Object Name A name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
Object Description The type of astronomical object.
R.A. Position Right ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.
Dec. Position Declination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.
Constellation One of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.
Distance The physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs.
Dimensions The physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.
About The Data
Data Description
  • Proposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
  • Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.
Instrument The science instrument used to produce the data.
Exposure Dates The date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.
Filters The camera filters that were used in the science observations.
About The Image
Image Credit The primary individuals and institutions responsible for the content.
Publication Date The date and time the release content became public.
Color Info A brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented.
Orientation The rotation of the image on the sky with respect to the north pole of the celestial sphere.