In this Hubble photograph of a distant galaxy cluster, a spotty blue arc stands out dramatically against a background of red galaxies. That arc is actually three separate images of the same background galaxy. The background galaxy has been gravitationally lensed, its light magnified and distorted by the intervening galaxy cluster.
By using the magnifying power of this natural cosmic lens, astronomers have been able to study the background galaxy in intimate detail. Through sophisticated computer processing, they determined how the galaxy’s image has been warped by gravity. The image at right shows how the galaxy would look to Hubble without distortions.
It reveals a disk galaxy containing clumps of star formation that each span about 200 to 300 light-years. This contradicts theories suggesting that star-forming regions in the distant, early universe were much larger, 3,000 light-years or more in size.
Credits
NASA, ESA, and T. Johnson (University of Michigan)| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | Galaxy cluster SDSS J1110+6459, lensed galaxy SGAS J111020.0+645950.8 |
| Object Description | Galaxy cluster and gravitationally lensed galaxies |
| R.A. Position | 11h10m24.4s |
| Dec. Position | +64º59'16" |
| Constellation | Ursa Major |
| Distance | Galaxy cluster SDSS J1110+6459: 6.14 billion light years, lensed galaxy SGAS J111020.0+645950.8 11.05 billion light years |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description | The Hubble image was created from HST data from proposal M. Gladders (U. Chicago) |
| Instrument | HST WFC3/UVIS, WFC3/IR |
| Exposure Dates | Jan. 8, 2013 |
| Filters | WFC3/UVIS F390W, F606W, WFC3/IR F105W, F160W |
| About The Image | |
| Color Info | This image is a composite of separate exposures made by the WFC3 instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope using two different cameras and filters isolating the light of specific elements or of specific broad wavelength ranges. The color arises by assigning different hues (colors), to each monochromatic image. In this case, the colors are: blue WFC3/UVIS F390W, green WFC3/UVIS F606W, orange/red: WFC3/IR F105W, red WFC3/IR F160W. |
| Compass Image |  |
| About The Object | |
|---|---|
| Object Name | A name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object. |
| Object Description | The type of astronomical object. |
| R.A. Position | Right ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position. |
| Dec. Position | Declination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position. |
| Constellation | One of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears. |
| Distance | The 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. |
| Dimensions | The physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky. |
| About The Data | |
| Data Description |
|
| Instrument | The science instrument used to produce the data. |
| Exposure Dates | The date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time. |
| Filters | The camera filters that were used in the science observations. |
| About The Image | |
| Image Credit | The primary individuals and institutions responsible for the content. |
| Publication Date | The date and time the release content became public. |
| Color Info | A brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented. |
| Orientation | The rotation of the image on the sky with respect to the north pole of the celestial sphere. |
