NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope imaged Abell 2218, a giant cluster of galaxies and the best example of a natural gravitational lens. The cluster is so massive that its enormous gravitational field deflects light rays passing through it, magnifying and brightening images from faraway objects. Astronomers announced this week the discovery of distant galaxies, found using gravitational lensing.
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
July 12, 2007
Using natural “gravitational lenses,” an international team of astronomers claim to have found traces of the most distant galaxies yet seen. Light we see from them today left more than 13 billion years ago, when the universe was just 500 million years old.
Using natural “gravitational lenses,” an international team of astronomers claim to have found traces of the most distant galaxies yet seen. Light we see from them today left more than 13 billion years ago, when the universe was just 500 million years old.
In this week’s show, team member Dan Stark shares insight on this research.
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