Galaxy Cluster MACS J0647

In this Hubble Space Telescope observation, astronomers used the massive galaxy cluster MACS J0647+7015 as a giant cosmic telescope. The bright, yellow galaxies near the center of the image are cluster members. The cluster's gravity magnifies and distorts light from more-distant objects behind the cluster, making them visible to our telescopes. This gravitational lensing technique allowed astronomers to detect an even more distant galaxy. The cluster's gravity boosted the light from the faraway galaxy, making its image appear approximately eight times brighter than it otherwise would. Without the cluster's magnification powers, astronomers would not have seen this remote galaxy.