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News Release 3 of 54

September 9, 2009 11:00 AM (EDT)

News Release Number: STScI-2009-25

Hubble Opens New Eyes on the Universe

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Image: Barred Spiral Galaxy NGC 6217

STScI-PRC2009-25k

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ABOUT THIS IMAGE:

This is the first image of a celestial object taken with the newly repaired Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). The camera was restored to operation during the STS-125 servicing mission to upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope.

The barred spiral galaxy NGC 6217 was photographed on June 13 and July 8, 2009, as part of the initial testing and calibration of Hubble's ACS. The galaxy lies 60 million light-years away in the north circumpolar constellation Ursa Major.

Object Name: NGC 6217

Image Type: Astronomical

Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble SM4 ERO Team

Technical facts about this image:

About this Object

Object Name:	NGC 6217
Object Description:	Barred Spiral Galaxy
Position (J2000):	R.A. 16h 32m 39s.2 Dec. +78° 11' 53"
Constellation:	Ursa Minor
Distance:	60 million light-years or 21 million parsecs
Dimensions:	This image is 2.2 arcminutes (44,000 light-years or 13,400 parsecs) wide.

About these Data

Data Description:	The Hubble images were created from data from the calibration proposal 11371: M. Sirianni (STScI/ESA), M. Chiaberge (STScI/ESA/INAF), A. Suchkov (Johns Hopkins University), and N. Grogin (STScI).
Instrument:	ACS/WFC
Exposure Date(s):	June/July 2009
Exposure Time:	3.0 hours
Filters:	F435W (g), F625W (r), and F658N (H-alpha + [N II]), and F814W (I)

About this Image

Credit:

NASA, ESA, and the Hubble SM4 ERO Team

Release Date:

September 9, 2009

Color:

The image is a composite of separate exposures made by the ACS instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope. Four filters were used to sample broad and narrow wavelength ranges. The color results from assigning different hues (colors) to each monochromatic image. In this case, the assigned colors are:

F814W (I)	red
F658N (H-alpha + [N II])	red
F625W (r)	green
F435W (g)	blue

Orientation/Scale:

Acknowledgments for NGC 6217

Observers:	M. Sirianni (STScI/ESA), M. Chiaberge (STScI/ESA/INAF), A. Suchkov (Johns Hopkins University), and N. Grogin (STScI)
Data Analysis:	M. Mutchler (STScI)
Image Composition:	Z. Levay and L. Frattare (STScI)
Text:	D. Weaver and R. Villard (STScI)
Illustrations:	Z. Levay (STScI)
Video:	G. Bacon (STScI)
Science Consultant:	K. Noll (STScI)

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