Orpington Astronomical Society

Astronomy => In the Media... => Topic started by: Carole on May 12, 2017, 15:24:16

Title: WOW! Hubble Lensing effect on galaxy cluster Abell 370
Post by: Carole on May 12, 2017, 15:24:16
Have you seen this yet?

Entangled among the galaxies are mysterious-looking arcs of blue light. These are actually distorted images of remote galaxies behind the cluster. These far-flung galaxies are too faint for Hubble to see directly. Instead, the cluster acts as a huge lens in space that magnifies and stretches images of background galaxies like a funhouse mirror. The massive gravitational field of the foreground cluster produces this phenomenon. The collective gravity of all the stars and other matter trapped inside the cluster warps space and affects light traveling through the cluster, toward Earth.

(https://assets.cdn.astronomynow.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/08155232/STSCI-H-p1720a-m-1797x2000-768x854.png)
Title: Re: WOW! Hubble Lensing effect on galaxy cluster Abell 370
Post by: Roy on May 12, 2017, 15:51:10
That is some image, I'm sure Einstein would have loved it!
Roy
Title: Re: WOW! Hubble Lensing effect on galaxy cluster Abell 370
Post by: ApophisAstros on May 12, 2017, 16:40:22
When you say they "warp" the light , a new means of travelling fast through space and is this warping still at lightspeed or does the gravity speed it or slow it?
Roger
Title: Re: WOW! Hubble Lensing effect on galaxy cluster Abell 370
Post by: Carole on May 12, 2017, 18:02:07
I think it means bends the light.  Look up gravitational lensing that should explain it.

Carole