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Hubble Wide-Field Image of Galaxy Cluster and Gravitational Lens Abell 1689
This new image from Hubble of the massive galaxy cluster Abell 1689 shows the phenomenon of gravitational lensing with unprecedented clarity. This cluster acts like a cosmic lens, magnifying the light from objects lying behind it and making it possible for astronomers to explore incredibly distant regions of space. As well as being packed with galaxies, Abell 1689 has been found to host a huge population of globular clusters.
While our galaxy, the Milky Way, is only home to around 150 of these old clumps of stars, Hubble astronomers estimate that this galaxy cluster could possibly contain over 160,000 globulars overall – an unprecedented number.
This image is peppered with glowing golden elliptical galaxies, bright stars, and distant, ethereal spiral galaxies. Also visible are a number of blue streaks, circling and arcing around the fuzzy galaxies in the center of the image.
These streaks are the tell-tale signs of a cosmic phenomenon known as gravitational lensing. Abell 1689 is so massive that it actually bends and warps the space around it, affecting how light from objects behind the cluster travels through space. These streaks are distorted forms of galaxies that lie behind Abell 1689. While the galaxy cluster is just over 2 billion light-years away, the galaxies being lensed are over 13 billion light-years distant.
Galaxy clusters like Abell 1689 exploit the magnifying powers of massive gravitational lenses to see even further into the distant Universe.
Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys snapped these images from June 12 to 21, 2002, and between May 29 and July 8, 2010.
About the Object
- R.A. PositionR.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.13h 11m 34.19s
- Dec. PositionDec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.-1° 21' 56.0"
- ConstellationConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.Virgo
- DistanceDistanceThe physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs.2.25 billion light-years (690 megaparsecs)
About the Data
- Data DescriptionData DescriptionProposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.ACS/WFC data of Abell 1689 were obtained as part of HST proposal 11710 : J. Blakeslee (NRC Herzberg Astrophysics Program, Victoria, B.C.)
Proposal co-Is include science team members listed below plus R. Bouwens (Leiden University), R. Barber DeGraaff (Washington State University), D. Magee (University of California, Santa Cruz), L. Bradley (STScI), and A. Zirm (University of Copenhagen).
Authors on the science paper include: J. Blakeslee (NRC Herzberg Astrophysics Program, Victoria, B.C.), K. Alamo-Martinez and R. Gonzalez-Lopezlira (National Autonomous University of Mexico) M.J. Jee (University of California, Davis), P. Cote, and L. Ferrarese (DAO/NRC Herzberg Astrophysics), A. Jordan (Pontifical Catholic University of Chile), G. Meurer (University of Western Australia, Perth), E. Peng (Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Peking University), and M. West (Maria Mitchell Observatory).
- InstrumentInstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.HST>ACS/WFC
- Exposure DatesExposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.May 29 - July 8, 2010
- FiltersFiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.F475W (g), F625W (r), F775W (i), and F850LP (z)
- Object NameObject NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.Abell 1689
- Object DescriptionObject DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.Galaxy Cluster
- Release DateSeptember 12, 2013
- Science ReleaseHubble Uncovers Largest Known Population of Star Clusters
- CreditNASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), J. Blakeslee (NRC Herzberg Astrophysics Program, Dominion Astrophysical Observatory), and H. Ford (JHU)
Note: The release image is a composite of the F814W (I) data from proposal 11710, taken May 29 - July 8, 2010, and F475W (g), F625W (r), F775W (i), and F850LP (z) data from proposal 9289, PI: H. Ford (JHU), taken June 12 - 21, 2002. This image is a composite of separate exposures acquired by the ACS instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Several filters were used to sample broad wavelength ranges. The color results from assigning different hues (colors) to each monochromatic (grayscale) image associated with an individual filter. In this case, the assigned colors are: Blue: F475W (g)Green: F625W (r)Red: F775W (i) + F850LP (z)
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Globular Star Clusters in Galaxy Cluster Abell 1689
Hubble Finds Galaxy Cluster Abell 1689 Full of Giant Star Clusters Peering deep into the heart of the massive galaxy cluster Abell 1689, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has nabbed more than 160,000 globular clusters, the largest population ever seen. The image at left, taken by...
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Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov
