Subaru Gallery

Mars (August 23, 2003)
Distance : aprox. 5,600 x 10⁴ km
Angular Diameter : aprox. 25 arcseconds
Detail : This image was taken four days before Mars' closest approach to Earth in 60,000 years. The video rate for this picture was one exposure every thirty seconds.
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Mars (July 20, 2003)
Distance : aprox. 6,900 x 10⁴ km
Angular Diameter : aprox. 20 arcseconds
Detail : This image was taken one month before Mars' closest approach to Earth in 60,000 years. The video rate for this picture was one exposure every thirty seconds.
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Jupiter and Europa
Distance : aprox. 8 x 10⁸ km
Detail : Jupiter, the biggest planet in the solar system, and one of its larger moons,Europa, are both captured in this image. The dark spot on Jupiter's northern hemisphere is the shadow of Europa.
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L1551 IRS 5
Distance : 450 Light years
Constellation : Taurus
Detail : The brighter red region towards the center of the image is thought to have a binary system of protostars.

GG TAU
Distance : 456 Light years
Constellation : Taurus
Detail : A protoplanetary disk surrounds this young star that is about 10 million years old.

T Tau
Distance : 550 Light years
Constellation : Taurus
Detail : A thin protoplanetary disk still surrounds this young star that is about 1 million years old.

IC 418 (Planetary Nebula)
Distance : 1300 Light years
Constellation : Lepus
Detail : The white dwarf, from where the gas of this nebula came from, is not at the center of the nebula but is shifted to the left. It is thought that this is because of the irregular stellar wind that comes from the white dwarf.

IC 434:Horsehead Nebula (Dark Molecular Cloud)
Distance : 1300 Light years
Constellation : Orion
Detail : Dark nebula is blocking the light of the stars behind it creating a silhouette that looks like a horse' head.

NGC 2024 [East] (Emission Nebula)
Distance : 1304 Light years
Constellation : Orion
Detail : Material for star formation is found in the dark regions of this image. The red regions of this image contain excited hydrogen.

NGC 2024 [West] (Emission Nebula)
Distance : 1304 Light years
Constellation : Orion
Detail : The red color of the region is due to hydrogen atoms in the nebula becoming excited and emitting red light. Astronomers call this type of region an HII region.

NGC 2392:Eskimo Nebula ( Planetary Nebula)
Distance : 1360 Light years
Constellation : Gemini
Detail : One of the most famous planetary nebulae. This object looks like an Eskimo that is wearing a fur hat, hence why it is known as the "Eskimo Nebula".

HH Object 29 & 102
Distance : 1500 Light years
Constellation : Taurus
Detail : There are protostars inside the dark nebula with jets of material flowing out from their rotational poles.

M 42:Orion Nebula (Emission Nebula)
Distance : 1500 Light years
Constellation : Orion
Detail : This is just center region of the vast Orion nebula. The four bright stars in the upper right corner are called the "Trapezium". They are newborn stars made with a higher concentration of heavy elements.
[ Scientific Result ]

M78 (Reflection Nebula)
Distance : 1600 Light years
Constellation : Orion
Detail :White light passing through a nebula will have its blue light filtered and scattered more readily than its red light. Since M78 looks blue, the light comes from a star located to the side of it and is called a reflection nebula.

Red Rectangle (Proto-Planetary Nebula)
Distance : 2300 Light years
Constellation : Monoceros
Detail : This star is a red giant at the moment and it will end its life when it turns into a planetary nebula. The name " Red Rectangle" comes from the star's appearance.

NGC 2264 : Cone Nebula (Emission Nebula)
Distance : 2600 Light years
Constellation : Monoceros
Detail : The dark molecular cloud blocks the light from the stars behind it creating a silhouette that looks like a cone. Stars are found to form in dark molecular cloud like the cone nebula.

NGC 2438 [Wide] (Planetary Nebula)
Distance : 2930 Light years
Constellation : Puppis
Detail : Oxygen and hydrogen gas come from a dying star in the middle of the nebula. The gas is bombarded by radiation from the dying star causing the oxygen to glow green and the hydrogen glow red.

NGC 2438 [Zoom] (Planetary Nebula)
Distance : 2930 Light years
Constellation : Puppis
Detail : Oxygen and hydrogen gas come from a dying star in the middle of the nebula. The gas is bombarded by radiation from the dying star causing the oxygen to glow green and the hydrogen glow red.