Galaxy Cluster PLCK G165.7 (NIRCam Image)

 Galaxy Cluster PLCK G165.7 (NIRCam Image)

Caption

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) image of the galaxy cluster PLCK G165.7+67.0, also known as G165. A foreground cluster, located 3.6 billion light-years away from Earth, is magnifying and bending the light of the distant universe beyond. In this image, astronomers discovered the light of an exploding star — more specifically, a Type Ia supernova — imaged three times, seen as points of light within the prominent red arc at the right-center of the image.

To achieve three images, the light traveled along three different paths. Since each path had a different length, and light traveled at the same speed, the supernova was imaged in this Webb observation at three different times during its explosion. The multiply-imaged supernova offers astronomers a unique way to calculate a new value for the Hubble constant — the rate at which the universe is accelerating. 

The field of G165 is known for a high rate of star formation of more than 300 solar masses per year, an attribute that correlates with higher supernova rates.

In this image, blue represents light at 0.9, 1.15, and 1.5 microns (F090W + F115W + F150W), green is 2.0 and 2.77 microns (F200W + F277W), and red is 3.56, 4.1, and 4.44 microns (F356W + F410M + F444W).

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About The Object
Object Name PLCK G165.7+67.0, G165, SN H0pe
Object Description Galaxy cluster and supernova
R.A. Position 11:27:15.59

Dec. Position +42:28:33.46
Constellation Ursa Major
Dimensions Image is about 1.5 arcminutes across
About The Data
Data Description This image was created from JWST data from proposals:  (R. Windhorst) and (B. Frye). Image processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI).  
Instrument NIRCam
Exposure Dates 30 March 2023, 22 April 2023, 09 May 2023
Filters F090W, F115W, F150W, F200W, F277W, F356W, F410M, 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 infrared 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: F090W + F115W + F150W, Green: F200W + F277W, Red: F356W + F410M + F444W
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
Color Info A brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented.
Compass and Scale Image An astronomical image with a scale that shows how large an object is on the sky, a compass that shows how the object is oriented on the sky, and the filters with which the image was made.