Spitzer Celebrates Fourth Anniversary with Celestial Fireworks

Spitzer_sig07-016_1024

spitzer_sig07-016 August 24th, 2007

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ J. Hora (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA)

A newly expanded image of the Helix nebula lends a festive touch to the fourth anniversary of the launch of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. This spectacular object, a dying star unraveling into space, is a favorite of amateur and professional astronomers alike. Spitzer has mapped the expansive outer structure of the six-light-year-wide nebula, and probed the inner region around the central dead star to reveal what appears to be a planetary system that survived the star's chaotic death throes.

Provider: Spitzer Space Telescope

Image Source: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/2115-sig07-016-Spitzer-Celebrates-Fourth-Anniversary-with-Celestial-Fireworks

Curator: Spitzer Space Telescope, Pasadena, CA, USA

Image Use Policy: Public Domain

View Options View Options

Download Options Download Options

Image Details Image Details

Image Type
Observation
Object Name
Helix Nebula • NGC 7293
Subject - Milky Way
Nebula > Type > Planetary

Distance Details Distance

Universescale1
650 light years
Spitzer_sig07-016_128
 

Position Details Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 22h 29m 40.5s
DEC = -20° 49’ 49.7”
Orientation
North is 64.9° CW
Field of View
29.1 x 27.1 arcminutes
Constellation
Aquarius

Color Mapping Details Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Blue Spitzer (IRAC) Infrared (Near-IR) 3.6 µm
Green Spitzer (IRAC) Infrared (Near-IR) 4.5 µm
Red Spitzer (IRAC) Infrared (Mid-IR) 8.0 µm
Spectrum_base
Blue
Green
Red
Spitzer_sig07-016_1280
×
ID
sig07-016
Subject Category
B.4.1.3  
Subject Name
Helix Nebula, NGC 7293
Credits
NASA/JPL-Caltech/ J. Hora (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA)
Release Date
2007-08-24
Lightyears
650
Redshift
Reference Url
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/2115-sig07-016-Spitzer-Celebrates-Fourth-Anniversary-with-Celestial-Fireworks
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Distance taken from Fast Facts.
Facility
Spitzer, Spitzer, Spitzer
Instrument
IRAC, IRAC, IRAC
Color Assignment
Blue, Green, Red
Band
Infrared, Infrared, Infrared
Bandpass
Near-IR, Near-IR, Mid-IR
Central Wavelength
3600, 4500, 8000
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
J2000
Reference Value
337.4188460662167, -20.830476447606358
Reference Dimension
4370.0, 4070.0
Reference Pixel
2185, 2035
Scale
-0.00011095522486521935, 0.00011095522486521935
Rotation
-64.8975679702
Coordinate System Projection:
TAN
Quality
Full
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
Spitzer Space Telescope
URL
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu
Name
Spitzer Space Telescope
Email
Telephone
Address
1200 E. California Blvd.
City
Pasadena
State/Province
CA
Postal Code
91125
Country
USA
Rights
Public Domain
Publisher
Spitzer Science Center
Publisher ID
spitzer
Resource ID
sig07-016.tif
Resource URL
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/uploaded_files/images/0001/5117/sig07-016.tif
Related Resources
Metadata Date
2011-09-06
Metadata Version
1.1
×

 

Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

×
Universescalefull
650 light years

Providers | Sign In

NASA’s Universe of Learning materials are based upon work supported by NASA under cooperative agreement award number NNX16AC65A to the Space Telescope Science Institute, working in partnership with Caltech/IPAC, Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The award is part of NASA’s Science Activation program, which strives to further enable NASA science experts and content into the learning environment more effectively and efficiently with learners of all ages.