This diagram illustrates a cosmic phenomenon known as gravitational lensing.
A chance alignment of galaxies, recently observed by a space observatory, presents the perfect opportunity for studying star-forming galaxies billions of light-years away.
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Saturday, December 4, 2010
Discovery: Gigantic Gravity "Lenses" Magnify Galaxies Far, Far Away
This diagram illustrates a cosmic phenomenon known as gravitational lensing.
A chance alignment of galaxies, recently observed by a space observatory, presents the perfect opportunity for studying star-forming galaxies billions of light-years away.
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For decades, astronomers have used Einstein's concept of a "gravitational lens" to study the magnified images of distant objects. A lensing effect occurs when a massive object, such as a galaxy, is located exactly between another object and an observer.
ReplyDeleteBecause the galaxy in front is so massive, its strong gravitational pull bends the light coming from behind it, creating distorted images of the background galaxy.
Sometimes, the image is so warped that it appears as a ring or arc around the foreground galaxy. Other times the result is repeated images of the background galaxy, similar to what happens when looking in a funhouse mirror. But in all cases, the distorted images are magnified, making the background galaxies appear brighter and therefore easier to study.
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