By ESA/Hubble
June 19, 2022
Hubble Quandary Telescope image of huge galaxy cluster Abell 1351. Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, H. Ebeling, Acknowledgment: L. Shatz
The huge galaxy cluster Abell 1351 is captured in this image by the NASA/ESA Hubble Quandary Telescope’s Huge Field Digicam 3 and Superior Digicam for Surveys. This galaxy cluster lies in the constellation The US Important in the northern hemisphere.
This image is stuffed with streaks of sunshine, which would be in actual fact photos of distant galaxies. The streaks are the stop consequence of gravitational lensing, an astrophysical phenomenon that happens when a huge celestial body akin to a galaxy cluster distorts spacetime sufficiently strongly to impress the direction of sunshine passing thru it — nearly as if the sunshine had been passing thru a substantial lens. Gravitational lensing comes in two forms — solid and extinct — and both can give astronomers an insight into the distribution of mass internal a lensing galaxy cluster akin to Abell 1351.
This recount is a part of an sizable album comprising snapshots of just a few of the most huge galaxy clusters. This menagerie of huge clusters demonstrates attention-grabbing astrophysical phenomena akin to solid gravitational lensing, as effectively as showcasing spectacular examples of violent galaxy evolution.
To possess this sizable album, astronomers proposed a Snapshot Program to be slotted into Hubble’s packed watching time desk. These Snapshot Programs are lists of separate, somewhat quick exposures that can fit into gaps between longer Hubble observations. Having a expansive pool of Snapshot candidates to dip into lets in Hubble to enlighten every second of watching time you can beget of and to maximize the scientific output of the observatory.