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An odd arc of light has led to one of the newest cosmology discoveries to come from the Hubble telescope: a massive, ancient galaxy cluster.
The arc of light comes from a fairly normal galaxy, but it’s been warped in a process called gravitational lensing. Lensing occurs when an object is massive enough to distort the light rays traveling near it.
In this case, astronomers observed the light coming from behind a massive galaxy cluster more than 10 billion light-years away, and between the lensed galaxy and us. Lensing has never been seen that was caused by such a distant cluster. The researchers report their findings in the Astrophysical Journal. [Anthony H. Gonzalez et al., "IDCS J1426.5+3508: Cosmological implications of a massive, strong lensing cluster at Z = 1.75"]
In general, galaxy clusters are smaller the older they are, so finding such a massive galaxy cluster was improbable to begin with. This one is five to 10 times larger than other clusters of similar vintage, dating back to when the universe was only a quarter of its present age.
Further study may determine if concentrations of galaxies of this age and brightness are greater than previously thought, or whether this finding was just lucky. In other words, future research will shed more light.
—Evelyn Lamb
[The above text is a transcript of this podcast.]
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5 Comments
Add CommentThis is why the Big Bang never happened: There was not enough time for this galaxy cluster to have formed if the Big Bang happened when they claim
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThanks for the link to the preprint research report. One thing I don't think I found was how far away the unexpectedly bright arc source galaxy is. If the lensing cluster is 10 billion light years away, how far away can the lensed galaxy be?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe article states:
"In this case, astronomers observed the light coming from behind a massive galaxy cluster more than 10 billion light years away, and between the lensed galaxy and us."
Are you saying the arc of lensed galaxy's light was emitted is 10 billion light years away from the lensing galaxy, and the lensing galaxy is 10 billion light years away from us? That would seem to have major cosmological implications!
The massive galaxy cluster is about 10 billion light years away from Earth, and the galaxy that is being lensed is not far behind that cluster. The age estimate for the lensed galaxy is 10-13 billion light years.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe Milky Way to Andromeda is 2.5million light years. So the lensed galaxy could be 10billion plus 2.5mly.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPerhaps someday the problem will be resolved by the discovery that multiple smaller galaxies in a super-cluster produced the rare phenom - appearing at this end of the light-stream as a single mega-lens.
Sorry - I don't understand what Andromeda has to do with this observation...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIf I recall correctly, the researchers producing the referenced report describe evaluating and dismissing the possibility that the strong gravitational lensing of the distant background galaxy might have been produced by a series of in-line lensing objects in addition to the identified lensing galaxy cluster. I can't asses their evaluation, though...