Trio of Images of the Arches Cluster

These images of the Arches cluster, taken by three different telescopes, reveal progressively more detail in the tightly packed collection of about 2,000 stars. The Arches is the densest star cluster in our Milky Way Galaxy and resides in our galaxy's crowded core.

Credit:

NASA, ESA, D. Figer (STScI); [Middle] - G. Serabyn (JPL), D. Shupe (Caltech) and D. Figer (STScI); [Right] - NASA, ESA and D. Figer (STScI

)

Usage of ESA/Hubble Images and Videos
Are you a journalist? Subscribe to the ESA/Hubble Media Newsletter.

About the Image

NASA press release

Id:	opo0505d
Type:	Collage
Release date:	9 March 2005, 20:00
Size:	1854 x 768 px

About the Object

Name:	Arches Star Cluster
Type:	Milky Way : Star : Grouping : Cluster
Distance:	25000 light years
Category:	Star Clusters

Image Formats

Fullsize Original

116.4 KB

Large JPEG

163.4 KB

Screensize JPEG

104.1 KB

Colours & filters

Band	Wavelength	Telescope
Infrared J	1.1 μm	Hubble Space Telescope NICMOS
Infrared H	1.6 μm	Hubble Space Telescope NICMOS
Infrared Pa-alpha	1.87 μm	Hubble Space Telescope NICMOS
Infrared Near-IR	2.05 μm	Hubble Space Telescope NICMOS

Notes: The left and middle images in this composition were captured by the ground-based Lick 3-m telescope and Keck telescope, repectively. The final image is from the Hubble Space Telescope.