Hubble Uncovers Brilliant Star in Milky Way's Core

One of the intrinsically brightest stars in our galaxy appears as the bright white dot in the center of this image taken with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. Hubble's Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) was needed to take the picture, because the star is hidden at the galactic center, behind obscuring dust. NICMOS' infrared vision penetrated the dust to reveal the star, which is glowing with the radiance of 10 million suns.

One of the intrinsically brightest stars in our galaxy appears as the bright white dot in the centre of this image taken with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. Hubble's Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) was needed to take the picture, because the star is hidden at the galactic center, behind obscuring dust. NICMOS' infrared vision penetrated the dust to reveal the star, which is glowing with the radiance of 10 million suns.

Credit:

Don F. Figer (UCLA), and NASA/ESA

About the Image

NASA press release
Id:opo9733a
Type:Observation
Release date:8 October 1997, 15:00
Size:505 x 508 px

About the Object

Name:Pistol Nebula
Type:Milky Way : Nebula : Appearance : Emission : H II Region
Distance:25000 light years
Constellation:Sagittarius
Category:Nebulae

Image Formats

r.titleLarge JPEG
247.0 KB
r.titleScreensize JPEG
492.0 KB

Coordinates

Position (RA):17 46 15.44
Position (Dec):-28° 50' 1.09"
Field of view:0.64 x 0.64 arcminutes
Orientation:North is 45.6° right of vertical


Colours & filters

BandTelescope
Hubble Space Telescope
NICMOS

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