A follow-up observation by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope shows a field containing a microlensing event that was captured by the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE) in 2013. This provides an example of how a Hubble image could be used to analyze future microlensing events spotted by NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.
In gravitational microlensing, the gravity of a foreground object acts as a lens, magnifying and distorting the light of a background star when the two objects align in the sky.
About the ObjectR.A. Position
R.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object’s position.
17:52:07.49
Dec. Position
Dec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object’s position.
-29:50:46.0
Constellation
ConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.
Sagittarius
Distance
DistanceThe physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs.
The center of our galaxy is about 26,000 light-years away
Dimensions
DimensionsThe physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.
This image is 1.3 arcminutes across.
About the DataData Description
Data DescriptionProposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. “PI” refers to the Principal Investigator.
These images were created with Hubble data from proposal: 17776 (S. Terry).
Instrument
InstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.
WFC3/UVIS
Exposure Dates
Exposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.
29 March 2025
Filters
FiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.
F606W, F814W