Technical facts about this news release:
| About the Object |
| Object Name: |
Sirius A and Sirius B |
| Object Description: |
Binary Star System |
| Position (J2000): |
R.A. 06h 45m 08s.92
Dec. -16° 42' 58".0 |
| Constellation: |
Canis Major |
| Distance: |
8.6 light-years away (2.6 parsecs) |
| Dimensions: |
The projected separation of Sirius A and Sirius B in this image is 6".10, which at the distance of Sirius is 16.1 Astronomical Units (AU). The semimajor axis of the relative orbit is 7".48, or 19.7 AU. |
|
| About the Data |
| Data Description: |
The Hubble image was created from HST data from proposal 9964: H. Bond (STScI), M. Barstow and M. Burleigh (University of Leicester), J. Holberg (University of Arizona), and E. Nelan (STScI). I. Hubeny (University of Arizona) and D. Koester (University of Kiel, Germany) are also on the science team. |
| Instruments: |
WFPC2 |
STIS |
| Exposure Dates: |
October 2003 |
February 2004 |
| Exposure Time: |
11.2 min |
15.8 min |
| Filter/Gratings: |
F1042M |
G430L and G750M |
|
| About the Image |
| Image Credit: |
NASA, ESA, H. Bond (STScI) and M. Barstow (University of Leicester) |
| Release Date: |
December 13, 2005 |
| Orientation: |
 |
|
