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Lensing Close-up
Detailed View: Star Earendel on the Line of Extreme Magnification
This detailed view highlights the star Earendel's position along a ripple in space-time (dotted line) that magnifies it and makes it possible for the star to be detected over such a great distance—nearly 13 billion light-years. Also indicated is a cluster of stars that is mirrored on either side of the line of magnification. The distortion and magnification are created by the mass of a huge galaxy cluster located in between Hubble and Earendel. The mass of the galaxy cluster is so great that it warps the fabric of space, and looking through that space is like looking through a magnifying glass—along the edge of the glass or lens, the appearance of things on the other side are warped as well as magnified.
About the Object
- R.A. PositionR.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.01:37:23.23
- Dec. PositionDec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.-08:27:52.20
- ConstellationConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.Cetus
- 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.The star is approximately 12.9 billion light-years away.
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. - InstrumentInstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.ACS/WFC, WFC3/IR
- Exposure DatesExposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.7 June 2016, 17July 2016, 4 November 2019, and 27 November 2019
- FiltersFiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.F814W, F105W, F110W, F160W
- Object NameObject NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.Earendel
- Object DescriptionObject DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.Distant star
- Release DateMarch 30, 2022
- Science ReleaseRecord Broken: Hubble Spots Farthest Star Ever Seen
- CreditNASA, ESA, Brian Welch (JHU), Dan Coe (STScI); Image Processing: NASA, ESA, Alyssa Pagan (STScI)
These images are a composite of separate exposures acquired by the ACS/WFC and the WFC3/IR instruments on the Hubble Space Telescope. Several filters were used to sample narrow and wide 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: F814W Green: F105W Red: F110W + F160W
Related Images & Videos
Lensed Star Earendel
The Sunrise Arc Galaxy With Lensed Star Earendel The star nicknamed Earendel (indicated with arrow) is positioned along a ripple in spacetime that gives it extreme magnification, allowing it to emerge into view from its host galaxy, which appears as a red smear across the sky....
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Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov
