A Cosmic Leviathan: Hubble Space Telescope Unveils an Exceptionally Massive Galaxy Cluster.
Gravitationally Lensed Galaxy Cluster
By ESA/HUBBLE MAY 7, 2023
TOPICS: Astronomy Astrophysics "European Space Agency" "Gravitational Lensing" "Hubble Space Telescope"
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured an image of a massive galaxy cluster, eMACS J1823.1+7822, that offers insights into dark matter distribution and acts as a natural telescope to study distant objects. Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, H. Ebeling
This Hubble Space Telescope image reveals a massive galaxy cluster, eMACS J1823.1+7822, located nine billion light-years away in the constellation Draco. Gravitational lensing caused by the cluster’s mass distorts background galaxies into streaks and arcs of light, offering insights into dark matter distribution.
A vast galaxy cluster lurks in the center of this image from the Hubble Space Telescope.
Like a submerged sea monster causing waves on the surface, this cosmic leviathan can be identified by the distortions in spacetime around it. The mass of the cluster has caused the images of background galaxies to be gravitationally lensed; the galaxy cluster has caused a sufficient curvature of spacetime to bend the path of light and cause background galaxies to appear distorted into streaks and arcs of light. A host of other galaxies can be seen surrounding the cluster, and a handful of foreground stars with tell-tale diffraction spikes are scattered throughout the image.
A Cosmic Leviathan: Hubble Space Telescope Unveils an Exceptionally Massive Galaxy Cluster.
Gravitationally Lensed Galaxy Cluster
By ESA/HUBBLE MAY 7, 2023
TOPICS: Astronomy Astrophysics "European Space Agency" "Gravitational Lensing" "Hubble Space Telescope"
The Hubble Space Telescope has captured an image of a massive galaxy cluster, eMACS J1823.1+7822, that offers insights into dark matter distribution and acts as a natural telescope to study distant objects. Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, H. Ebeling
This Hubble Space Telescope image reveals a massive galaxy cluster, eMACS J1823.1+7822, located nine billion light-years away in the constellation Draco. Gravitational lensing caused by the cluster’s mass distorts background galaxies into streaks and arcs of light, offering insights into dark matter distribution.
A vast galaxy cluster lurks in the center of this image from the Hubble Space Telescope.
Like a submerged sea monster causing waves on the surface, this cosmic leviathan can be identified by the distortions in spacetime around it. The mass of the cluster has caused the images of background galaxies to be gravitationally lensed; the galaxy cluster has caused a sufficient curvature of spacetime to bend the path of light and cause background galaxies to appear distorted into streaks and arcs of light. A host of other galaxies can be seen surrounding the cluster, and a handful of foreground stars with tell-tale diffraction spikes are scattered throughout the image.