Space Time logo Space Time
Unusual galaxies · evidence and sources

Hoag’s Object

A blue stellar ring encircles a golden core across an almost empty-looking gap.

Also known as Hoag's Object, Hoag Object, PGC 54559.

Catalog Position basis, the same label the app shows on the selection card.

Open in Space Time

Every aspect, with its origin

One record per aspect. The origin says what kind of thing each value is; the source says where it came from; the limit says what it cannot tell you.

ObservedCatalogComputedReconstructedIllustrativeUndocumented
Position Catalog

Registered image field

J2000 image-field center RA 15.3 h, Dec 21.6°. Field 1.3 × 1.2 arcminutes; north -19.3° right of vertical.

SourceHubble WFPC2
EpochJ2000
LimitThe image field center is not necessarily a galaxy nucleus.
Physical data Catalog

Adopted distance

Approximately 600,000,000 light-years.

SourcePublished distance context
LimitAn approximate reference distance; distances to individual points within the image are not supplied by the observation.
Appearance Reconstructed

Observation-derived appearance

The galaxy’s origin remains uncertain. A small background ring galaxy visible through the gap is not a physical companion. Small foreground or background sources inside the selected apertures may remain; they do not have individually measured depths. Projected structure follows the credited observation at its published angular scale and an approximate adopted distance. Shallow depth is illustrative, not measured tomography. The source palette is preserved; brightness is adjusted for the navigable view.

SourceNASA / ESA and The Hubble Heritage Team ( STScI / AURA )

What is not measured

  • Appearance: a reconstruction from measurements, not a direct observation. Observation-derived appearance. The galaxy’s origin remains uncertain. A small background ring galaxy visible through the gap is not a physical companion. Small foreground or background sources inside the selected apertures may remain; they do not have individually measured depths. Projected structure follows the credited observation at its published angular scale and an approximate adopted distance. Shallow depth is illustrative, not measured tomography. The source palette is preserved; brightness is adjusted for the navigable view.

Sources cited

More

All evidence pages Sky events and alert sources What's new All features
Space Time is a free 3D universe explorer by Point Dynamics. Origins: how to read these pages.