NASA’s venerable space telescope is double-seeing with a stunning new image of a distant galaxy.
new image from Hubble Space Telescope captures the galaxy named SGAS J143845+145407 located in the northern constellation Taurus, one of the largest constellations in the sky. The mirror image of the galaxy at the center of this new photo is gravitational lens effectThis is an astronomical phenomenon that distorts, enlarges, or duplicates the appearance of distant galaxies.
“Gravitational lensing occurs when a massive astronomical object, such as a cluster of galaxies, causes enough curvature in spacetime that the path of light around it visibly bends like a lens.” statement From the European Space Agency (ESA). “Appropriately, objects that bend light are called gravitational lenses, and distorted background objects are called ‘lensed’. ”
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At the center of the new Hubble image, bright light emanating from SGAS J143845+145407 appears as an arc or ring on either side of the object between the distant galaxy and the space telescope.This image also contains several other images galaxy And celestial bodies scattered in space.
Hubble is equipped with highly sensitive scientific instruments that can capture faint, distant gravitational lensing that is too blurry for ground-based telescopes to detect. Earth’s atmosphere.
Gravitational lensing also allows astronomers to observe objects that are otherwise too distant or too weak to see. The distortion caused by foreground objects acts as a natural magnifying glass, zooming in on more distant celestial objects. Hubble can capture light from these more distant objects to determine their shape and internal structure, according to an ESA statement.
A recent image of galaxy SGAS J143845+145407 was taken as part of the larger Hubble initiative to study galaxies. early universe Use gravitational lensing to examine galaxies up close.
“The lensing effect reveals details in distant galaxies not otherwise available, allowing astronomers to determine star formation in early galaxies,” ESA officials said in a statement. This will give scientists better insight into how the galaxy’s overall evolution unfolded.”
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