Hubble Interacting Galaxy NGC 3256
About This Image
Caption
NGC 3256 is an impressive example of a peculiar galaxy that is actually the relict of a collision of two separate galaxies that took place in a distant past. The telltale signs of the collision are two extended luminous tails swirling out from the galaxy. NGC 3256 belongs to the Hydra-Centaurus supercluster complex and provides a nearby template for studying the properties of young star clusters in tidal tails. The system hides a double nucleus and a tangle of dust lanes in the central region. The tails are studded with a particularly high density of star clusters.
This image is part of a large collection of 59 images of merging galaxies taken by the Hubble Space Telescope and released on the occasion of its 18th anniversary on 24th April 2008.
About The Object
- Object Name
- NGC 3256, VV 065, AM 1025-433
- Object Description
- Interacting Galaxies
- R.A. Position
- 10h 27m 51.57s
- Dec. Position
- -43° 54' 13.39"
- Constellation
- Vela
- Distance
- 100 million light-years (50 million parsecs)
About The Data
- Data Description
- HST Proposal: 10592 A. Evans (University of Virginia, Charlottesville/NRAO/Stony Brook University)
- Instrument
- HST>ACS/WFC
- Exposure Dates
- November 5, 2001, Exposure Time: 35 minutes
- Filters
- F435W (B) and F814W (I)
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.
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.
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