Portion of Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science (CEERS) Survey (NIRCam Compass Image)

 Portion of Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science (CEERS) Survey (NIRCam Compass Image)

This is a portion of the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science (CEERS) Survey, made up of several near-infrared pointings from NIRCam (the Near-Infrared Camera) aboard the James Webb Space Telescope. These observations are within the same region studied by the Hubble Space Telescope, which is known as the Extended Groth Strip.

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 arcseconds, which is a measure of angular distance on the sky. One arcsecond is equal an angular measurement of 1/3600 of one degree. There are 60 arcminutes in a degree and 60 arcseconds in an arcminute. (The full Moon has an angular diameter of about 30 arcminutes.) The actual size of an object that covers one arcsecond on the sky depends on its distance from the telescope.

Credits

Science

NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Steve Finkelstein (UT Austin), Micaela Bagley (UT Austin)

About The Object
Object Name CEERS Survey, Extended Groth Strip
Object Description Deep field survey
R.A. Position 14:19:46
Dec. Position +52:53:37
Constellation Boötes
Dimensions Image is about 4.2 arcminutes across.
About The Data
Data Description This image was created with Webb data from proposal: (S. Finkelstein). Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI).
Instrument NIRCam
Exposure Dates 20-21 Dec 2022, 24 Dec 2022
Filters F115W, F150W, F200W, F277W, F356W, F444W
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 wide 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+F150W Green: F200W + F277W Red: F356W + F444W
Compass Image Image titled “James Webb Space Telescope; Portion of the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science (CEERS) Survey,” with compass arrows and color key. In the center is a near-infrared image of a field of galaxies and stars. At the top right are compass arrows indicating the orientation of the image on the sky. The east arrow points toward 8 o’clock. The north arrow points in the 11 o’clock direction. At the bottom right is a scale bar labeled 40 arcseconds. The length of the scale bar is about one eighth of the total image. Below the image is a color key showing which NIRCam filters were used to create the image and which visible-light color is assigned to each filter. NIRCam filters from left to right: F115W and F150W are blue; F200W and F277W are green; F356W and F444W are red.
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.