HAWK-I image of NGC 2997

This image, NGC 2997, is a spiral galaxy roughly 30 million light-years away in the constellation of Antlia

(the Air Pump). NGC 2997 is the brightest member of a group of galaxies of the same name in the Local Supercluster of galaxies. Our own Local Group, of which the Milky Way is a member, is itself also part of the Local Supercluster.

The image was made in infrared light with the HAWK-I camera on ESO’s Very Large Telescope at Paranal Observatory in Chile. HAWK-I is one of the most powerful infrared imagers in the world, and this is one of the sharpest and most detailed pictures of this galaxy ever taken from Earth. The filters used were Y (shown here in blue), J (in green), H (in orange), and K (in red). The field of view of the image is about 6.4 arcminutes.

Credit:

ESO/P. Grosbøl

About the Image

Id:eso1042f
Type:Observation
Release date:27 October 2010, 12:00
Related releases:eso1042
Size:3650 x 3638 px

About the Object

Name:NGC 2997
Type:Local Universe : Galaxy : Type : Spiral
Distance:30 million light years
Constellation:Antlia
Category:Galaxies

Image Formats

Large JPEG
5.1 MB
Screensize JPEG
290.7 KB

Zoomable


Wallpapers

1024x768
257.6 KB
1280x1024
419.4 KB
1600x1200
623.8 KB
1920x1200
785.0 KB
2048x1536
1.0 MB

Coordinates

Position (RA):9 45 38.78
Position (Dec):-31° 11' 28.49"
Field of view:6.48 x 6.46 arcminutes
Orientation:North is 0.2° left of vertical

Colours & filters

BandWavelengthTelescope
Infrared
Y
1.02 μmVery Large Telescope
HAWK-I
Infrared
J
1.22 μmVery Large Telescope
HAWK-I
Infrared
H
1.63 μmVery Large Telescope
HAWK-I