April 12, 2016

Hubble Frontier Fields view of MACSJ0416.1–2403

galaxy cluster MACS J0416.1–2403

This image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows the galaxy cluster MACS J0416.1–2403. This is one of six being studied by the Hubble Frontier Fields programme, which together have produced the deepest images of gravitational lensing ever made.

Due to the huge mass of the cluster it is bending the light of background objects, acting as a magnifying lens. Astronomers used this and two other clusters to find galaxies which existed only 600 to 900 million years after the Big Bang.

Image Credit: NASA, ESA and the HST Frontier Fields team (STScI)
Explanation from: http://www.spacetelescope.org/images/heic1523a/

1 comment:

  1. What created the Big Bang? Something had to exist in order to explode with a big Bang! I understand how the concept of eternal energy is terrifying to most people but if astronomers today see light energy entering their telescopes from past explosions, that constantly changing energy is absolute and passing through the universe. We measure all changing energy with a concept we humans invented called Time but all we are doing is measuring eternity.
    Signed: Joseph Raglione
    Executive director: The world humanitarian peace and ecology movement.

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