The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has obtained its first images since changing to an alternate operating mode that uses only one gyroscope, which helps control and orient the telescope.
This Hubble image shows NGC 1546, a spiral galaxy approximately 52.5 million light-years away in the constellation of Dorado. Image credit: NASA / ESA / Hubblr / STScI / David Thilker, JHU.
Hubble entered safe mode May 24, 2024 due to an ongoing gyroscope issue, suspending science operations.
The gyroscope had been increasingly returning faulty readings over the past six months, suspending science operations multiple times.
This led the Hubble astronomers to transition from a three-gyroscope operating mode to observing with only one gyroscope, enabling more consistent science observations and keeping another operational gyroscope available for future use.
“Hubble’s new image of a spectacular galaxy, NGC 1546, demonstrates the full success of our new, more stable pointing mode for the telescope,” said Dr. Jennifer Wiseman, senior project scientist for Hubble at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.
“We’re poised now for many years of discovery ahead, and we’ll be looking at everything from our solar system to exoplanets to distant galaxies.”
“Hubble plays a powerful role in NASA’s astronomical toolkit.”
NGC 1546 is a spiral galaxy located 52.5 million light-years away in the constellation of Dorado.
Also known as ESO 157-12, IRAS 04134-5611 or LEDA 14723, the galaxy is approximately 50,000 light-years across.
It was discovered by the English astronomer John Herschel on December 5, 1834.
“The galaxy’s orientation gives us a good view of dust lanes from slightly above and backlit by the galaxy’s core,” Dr. Wiseman and colleagues said.
“This dust absorbs light from the core, reddening it and making the dust appear rusty-brown.”
“The core itself glows brightly in a yellowish light indicating an older population of stars.”
“Brilliant-blue regions of active star formation sparkle through the dust.”
“Several background galaxies also are visible, including an edge-on spiral just to the left of NGC 1546.”
The color image of NGC 1546 is made up of observations from Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 (WCF3).
“The WCF3 instrument captured the image as part of a joint observing program between Hubble and the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope,” the astronomers said.
“The program also uses data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), allowing us to obtain a highly detailed, multiwavelength view of how stars form and evolve.”
“The image represents one of the first observations taken with Hubble since transitioning to the new pointing mode, enabling more consistent science operations.”
“We expect that Hubble can do most of its science observations in this new mode, continuing its groundbreaking observations of the cosmos.”