No matter how often the Hubble Space Telescope provides us with mind-boggling views of space, the excitement of seeing a new universe is always refreshing. So is the image released by NASA on Friday (August 18).
In this portrait we are witnessing a massive event. cluster of galaxies Dubbed Abel 3322, the planet is a territorial zoo located about 2.6 billion light years from Earth.As one light year Equal to the distance light travels in a year, even when adjusted for cosmic distance Expansion rateTherefore, this star cluster appears to us as if time had stopped in another epoch in the history of the universe.
In the center front of the image lies a hard-to-miss hazy galaxy named 2MASX J05101744-4519179.
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According to the release, one of the important properties of Abell 3322 for scientific observations is the fact that it is very bright at X-ray wavelengths (the wavelengths of light on Earth). electromagnetic Spectrum from 0.1 to 10 nanometers. Our naked eyes can only see visible light wavelengths between 400 and 700 nanometers, so X-ray light is invisible to the human eye, but astronomical instruments can overcome our physical limitations. . However, NASA outlines that the clusters are also observable at other wavelengths of light.
according to NASA statement In this image of the cosmic cluster, two Hubble instruments came together to give us this spectacular view. The telescope’s wide-field camera 3 captures the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that lies between ultraviolet, visible, and infrared light, while its advanced survey camera focuses specifically on visible light observations. Ta. You may have heard the term infrared astronomy thrown around lately. james webb space telescope Decoding our universe with a special infrared sensor made headlines.
Detection of this type of light is key for scientists studying the oldest regions of the universe, trying to peer through thick veils of dust and gas to see what lies behind them. In fact, NASA says JWST’s future observations of Abell 3322 could help study the star cluster in the constellation Pictor.
Another surprising detail about this recently released image is that there are many galaxies that look like someone magnified the galaxy in Microsoft Word until it looked like oddly formatted smudges dragged out. But these stains are interesting at first glance. Because the reason it looks that way is due to a phenomenon called gravitational lensing, once predicted by Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity.
“Observing galaxy clusters like Abel 3322 will advance our understanding of the evolution and interactions of dark and luminescent matter within clusters, and will also provide powerful tools for magnifying distant objects through gravitational lensing.” Gravitational ‘telescopes’ will also be revealed,” says NASA said in a statement.
In a nutshell, gravitational lensing is the passage of light from a distant object (such as a galaxy) through space that is distorted because the fabric of spacetime is dented by a very massive object (such as another galaxy). It refers to what kind of impact it will have. These light distortions can cause a magnifying effect known as gravitational lensing, which astronomers can use to make scientific observations of distant objects in the universe. This phenomenon makes it easier to analyze light sources from vantage points on Earth.
In fact, JWST really does a good job of that, showing us a ton of gravity-distorted galaxies that are simply stunning. Abell 3322 will probably be next on that list.