ESA Portal - Hubble is back in business, and scores a perfect ‘10’

Media Centre

Press Releases ESA Television Launch Media Corner Exhibitions

Services

Calendar Publications Frequently asked questions ESA-sponsored Conferences Help Site Credits Portal terms of use Comments Subscribe

Hubble is back in business, and scores a perfect ‘10’

30 October 2008

Back to article

Download:

HI-RES JPEG (Size: 1196 kb)

HI-RES TIFF (Size: 4065 kb)

This image, obtained by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope on 27-28 October 2008, shows a pair of gravitationally interacting galaxies called Arp 147. This is the first image obtained by Hubble after science operations were resumed on 25 October 2008, four weeks after a problem with the science data formatter took the spacecraft into safe mode.

The image was taken by Hubble’s prime working camera, the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2), which aimed at a particularly intriguing target. The two galaxies happen to be oriented so that they appear to mark the number 10. The left-most galaxy, or the ‘1’ in this image, is relatively undisturbed, apart from a smooth ring of starlight. It appears nearly edge-on to our line of sight. The right-most galaxy, the ‘0’ of the pair, exhibits a clumpy, blue ring of intense star formation.

Credits: NASA, ESA and M. Livio (STScI)

Back to article

Download:

HI-RES JPEG (Size: 488 kb)

HI RES TIFF (Size: 1800 kb)

The Hubble Space Telescope moves slowly away from Discovery following its release. The photo was taken during Servicing Mission 2 in 1997.

Credits: NASA

More about...

Hubble overview Hubblecast

Hubble enters safe mode When it comes to galaxies, diversity is everywhere Hubble sees magnetic monster in erupting galaxy Plethora of interacting galaxies on Hubble’s birthday Black hole found in Omega Centauri Exploding star in nearby galaxy Hubble finds first organic molecule on extrasolar planet Hubble discovers 67 gravitationally-lensed galaxies in the distant universe Hubble: One of the youngest and brightest galaxies found Gargantuan galaxy NGC 1132 - a cosmic fossil?