NORTHAMPTON When Smith College astronomy professor James Lowenthal got images back from the Hubble Space Telescope this year, his initial response was simple: Wow!
What he was looking at were the brightest infrared galaxies in the universe close-up views of rare, ultrabright collections of stars from the early universe that are furiously producing even more stars. Those views, Lowenthal said speaking at his office on Tuesday, may someday help answer a fundamental question about the history of the cosmos: how did galaxies form and evolve?
The images Lowenthal was observing made use of a well-known effect called gravitational lensing. Essentially, the light from those 22 distant galaxies passes through the gravitational field of a closer massive object, which acts as a kind of cosmic magnifying glass for researchers on Earth.
That foregrounded, natural lens allows astronomers to see otherwise impossible-to-see pictures of the distant universe. Light traveling from those galaxies takes billions of years to reach Earth, so researchers are quite literally looking into the past at galaxies from as long as 12 billion years ago about 90 percent of the way back to the Big Bang, according to Lowenthal.
Lowenthal presented those images at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Austin, Texas, last month.
The reaction has been in our scientific community, This is so, so cool, Lowenthal said of the response from his colleagues.
But before Lowenthal could take that peek into the past with his fellow researchers including Min Yun, Kevin Harrington, Patrick Kamieneski and Daniel Wang of the University of Massachusetts Amherst they had to write a scientifically rigorous proposal laying out their case for getting highly sought-after time on the Hubble telescope.
We convinced them it would be really cool, Lowenthal said of the proposal. And wow! It was really cool.
Lowenthal said Yun and others cleverly discovered the galaxies by using publicly available data from several telescopes, and used the Large Millimeter Telescope a joint project between UMass and Mexicos National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics to confirm their distances from Earth.
It was thanks to that work narrowing down a list of distant galaxies that the team knew where to look when they got time on the Hubble telescope.
The distant galaxies in the Hubble images are producing 5,000 to 10,000 times more stars than the Milky Way, but are using the same amount of gas contained in the Milky Way. That fact leaves astronomers to puzzle over what exactly is fueling that star birth.
Possible explanations for the rapid creation of stars could be the collision of massive galaxies, a flood of gas or something entirely different. At issue is the very nature of galaxy formation and evolution.
Those are lingering questions that Lowenthal hopes to answer, but first the images from the Hubble telescope must be decoded.
While gravitational lensing makes those distant galaxies more visible in high detail, it also bends their light, leaving warped images with streaks, circles and arcs that can leave researchers unclear about what exactly theyre looking at. The task now is to unscramble those pictures.
To explain the warping of the images, Lowenthal used the analogy of looking at candlelight through a wine glass. The light will appear in different spots, or even stretch across the bottom of the glass in a circle, depending on how the glass is held.
Because the images theyve received are warped, researchers must now work backwards to reconstruct what those galaxies actually looked like before passing through the lens. Knowing the distance of those galaxies, Lowenthal and others must figure out other variables like the gravitational pull of the lens to model what the original image looked like, or to even figure out what the background and foreground are.
From Hubble, we got only monochromatic, black and white images. Its only one wavelength, Lowenthal said, noting that hes hoping to get images from Hubble in the future that will show colors like red and blue. If we did have that information, it would tremendously, instantly help us separate foreground from background, because the foreground and background are almost always different colors.
Lowenthal and his colleagues failed to get approval to use the Hubble telescope during the latest cycle of proposals, but he said he hopes theyll soon have access again, and they hope to gain further insight into the nature of those early galaxies.
Follow this link:
A 'wow' moment for the astronomy community - The Recorder
- Hubble Telescope spies stormy weather and a shrinking Great Red Spot on Jupiter (video) - Space.com - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- NASA's James Webb Space Telescope mission Live updates - Space.com - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- Secret remains: James Webb measures the rate of expansion of the Universe - The Universe. Space. Tech - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- Cosmic Expansion Mystery Suggests 'We Have Misunderstood the Universe' - Newsweek - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- NASA releases an official tabletop adventure that's brave enough to ask: what would Earth be like if a dragon ... - PC Gamer - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Hubble Telescope spies massive 'bridge of stars' connecting 2 galaxies on collision course (image) - Space.com - January 30th, 2024 [January 30th, 2024]
- Hubble telescope spots tiniest water-rich world in orbit - The Register - January 30th, 2024 [January 30th, 2024]
- This Hubble Telescope photo of a spiral galaxy will take your breath away - Space.com - January 30th, 2024 [January 30th, 2024]
- Hubble telescope spots water around tiny hot and steamy exoplanet in 'exciting discovery' - Space.com - January 30th, 2024 [January 30th, 2024]
- Old age is the one thing the Hubble telescope and its latest photo have in common - Digital Camera World - January 30th, 2024 [January 30th, 2024]
- Hubble Telescope captures massive bridge of stars between two merging galaxies that could be our new home - WION - January 30th, 2024 [January 30th, 2024]
- NASA's Hubble telescope discovers water vapor In small exoplanet's atmosphere - DNA India - January 30th, 2024 [January 30th, 2024]
- Hubble Telescope detects water vapour in the atmosphere of smallest exoplanet GJ 9827d - Tech Explorist - January 30th, 2024 [January 30th, 2024]
- See This Remarkable Spiral Galaxy from the Eyes of the Hubble Telescope - Beebom - January 30th, 2024 [January 30th, 2024]
- Have we seen the last-ever picture from the Hubble? - Digital Camera World - December 14th, 2023 [December 14th, 2023]
- NASA will try bringing the Hubble telescope back online on Friday - Digital Trends - December 14th, 2023 [December 14th, 2023]
- 30 years ago, astronauts completed the Hubble telescope's first repair. Here's how - CBC.ca - December 14th, 2023 [December 14th, 2023]
- Cosmic Chameleon: Galaxy's Stunning Transformation by Hubble Filters - SciTechDaily - November 15th, 2023 [November 15th, 2023]
- Today's Photo from Ted Grussing Photography: Tweaking ... my ... - Sedona.biz - November 15th, 2023 [November 15th, 2023]
- The science of exploration through photography The Durango ... - The Durango Herald - November 15th, 2023 [November 15th, 2023]
- Hubble telescope captures jaw-dropping 'glitzy' galactic view - Study Finds - August 8th, 2023 [August 8th, 2023]
- Planetary defense test deflected an asteroid but unleashed a ... - UCLA Newsroom - August 8th, 2023 [August 8th, 2023]
- This new tool 'cleans' annoying satellite trails from Hubble telescope photos - Space.com - June 14th, 2023 [June 14th, 2023]
- Hubble Telescope gazes into the heart of a monstrous galaxy cluster (photo) - Space.com - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- NASA's Hubble telescope captures Jupiter's Great Red Spot, reveals shocking details - DNA India - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- Hubble telescope spies 'peek-a-boo' exoplanets amid star's tilted dust rings - Space.com - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day 8 May 2023: Mesmerizing Spanish Dancer Galaxy - HT Tech - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- Portugal participates in the development of a first-class instrument ... - EurekAlert - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- Brandywine Art Guide: Multiplicities - women in the arts - Chadds ... - Chadds Ford Live - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- Hubble telescope reveals huge star's explosion in blow-by-blow detail - Reuters - November 11th, 2022 [November 11th, 2022]
- James Webb and Hubble telescope images capture DART asteroid collision ... - November 1st, 2022 [November 1st, 2022]
- Hubble telescope peeks through 'cosmic keyhole' in stunning photo - November 1st, 2022 [November 1st, 2022]
- The 10 biggest telescopes on Earth - Space.com - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Tragedy in the making! 2 gigantic galaxies set to crash; NASA Hubble Telescope snaps photo - HT Tech - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Your Answers: What name would you give to a new planet? - ideastream - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- George Fitzgerald: "Serum is one of the best synthesizers ever made, hardware of software" - MusicRadar - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- JCPL Column: Looking to the stars - Daily Journal - September 29th, 2022 [September 29th, 2022]
- Hubble Telescope Captures Spectacular Image of Spiral Galaxy - Greek Reporter - September 22nd, 2022 [September 22nd, 2022]
- Hubble Telescope Captures What Might Be the Prettiest Spiral Galaxy Ever - CNET - September 22nd, 2022 [September 22nd, 2022]
- James Webb Telescope rediscovers Earendel, the farthest known star in the universe - EL PAS USA - September 22nd, 2022 [September 22nd, 2022]
- Viewpoints: The Formula Shortage Isn't Over; Male Lawmakers Aren't Doing Their Jobs As Fathers - Kaiser Health News - September 22nd, 2022 [September 22nd, 2022]
- What the Orion Nebula Looks Like to Webb Telescope Vs Hubble Telescope - Gizmodo - September 14th, 2022 [September 14th, 2022]
- JWST takes a peek at the first ever galaxies - Astrobites - September 3rd, 2022 [September 3rd, 2022]
- Scientists harness powers of Webb and Hubble in stunning galactic image - Mashable - August 30th, 2022 [August 30th, 2022]
- NASA Captured The Sound Of Space (And It's Bloody Terrifying) - Boss Hunting - August 27th, 2022 [August 27th, 2022]
- James Webb Telescope images of the planet open up new horizons of the imagination - The Indian Express - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- NASA released a clip of what a black hole sounds like and it's haunting - KING5.com - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- Galactic diversity captured in new Hubble telescope photo - Space.com - July 31st, 2022 [July 31st, 2022]
- What did Hubble Telescope see on your birthday? Find out here - India Today - July 31st, 2022 [July 31st, 2022]
- Opinion: At $10 billion, the Webb telescope is a bargain - Daily Press - July 31st, 2022 [July 31st, 2022]
- The First Images from the James Webb Telescope Are Breathtakingand Significant - The New Yorker - July 21st, 2022 [July 21st, 2022]
- Bob Korechoff, 75, is an aerospace engineer who worked with a team of engineers to fix the Hubble Telescope - The Spokesman Review - July 21st, 2022 [July 21st, 2022]
- Comparing The Hubble Telescope & The James Webb Is Like Millennials Vs. Gen Z - Bustle - July 21st, 2022 [July 21st, 2022]
- Rutgers Astrophysicist Selected for Research on the James Webb Space Telescope - Rutgers University - July 21st, 2022 [July 21st, 2022]
- Pillars of Creation: $16B Space Telescope vs $500 Backyard Photo - PetaPixel - July 11th, 2022 [July 11th, 2022]
- How the Webb Telescope will unveil the mysteries of cosmic star-making factories - Inverse - July 11th, 2022 [July 11th, 2022]
- Look: The Hubble telescope reveals of luminous sea of galaxies - Yahoo News - June 30th, 2022 [June 30th, 2022]
- Palestinian Journalist: The Arab And Muslim World Is Mired In Backwardness, Light Years Behind The World's Rapid Development - Middle East Media... - June 30th, 2022 [June 30th, 2022]
- Largest star in Milky Way is DYING and could collapse into a black hole... - The US Sun - June 30th, 2022 [June 30th, 2022]
- Comparison: Webb vs Hubble Telescope - Webb/NASA - June 24th, 2022 [June 24th, 2022]
- NASA shares Hubble view of Jupiter's auroras 100 times more energetic than those on Earth - Republic World - June 24th, 2022 [June 24th, 2022]
- Sun just killed a comet! Hubble Space Telescope reveals shocking details - HT Tech - June 24th, 2022 [June 24th, 2022]
- Uncovering the Mass of Distant Stars - AZoQuantum - June 24th, 2022 [June 24th, 2022]
- Hubbles Most Iconic Images Will Be Smoked By NASAs New Space TelescopeBut Its Not Webb - Forbes - June 11th, 2022 [June 11th, 2022]
- Jun 11: Music from the cosmos, thunderbird extinction, Hubble gets the big picture and more - CBC.ca - June 11th, 2022 [June 11th, 2022]
- Why Uranus and Neptune colours are different: NASA's Hubble Telescope has the answer - HT Tech - June 7th, 2022 [June 7th, 2022]
- Hubble Telescope captures giant star 32x larger than Sun, but it will die first! Check breathtaking NASA photo - HT Tech - June 7th, 2022 [June 7th, 2022]
- The Milky Way and Andromeda Galaxies Are Set to Collide in 4 Billion Years - My Modern Met - June 7th, 2022 [June 7th, 2022]
- Hubble telescope refines universe expansion rate mystery - Space.com - May 23rd, 2022 [May 23rd, 2022]
- Hubble telescope looks deep into the Needle's Eye in this dwarf spiral galaxy photo - Space.com - May 23rd, 2022 [May 23rd, 2022]
- Hubble Telescope: Something weird going on in universe - us.bolnews.com - May 23rd, 2022 [May 23rd, 2022]
- James Webb Space Telescope and 344 Single Points of Failure - thenewstack.io - May 23rd, 2022 [May 23rd, 2022]
- Hubble clicks photo that shows future of Milky Way Galaxy - WION - May 23rd, 2022 [May 23rd, 2022]
- #SpaceSnap The Alluring Crab Nebula Captured by the Hubble and Herschel Space Telescopes - iTech Post - May 23rd, 2022 [May 23rd, 2022]
- Space is an ecosystem, too. And it's in peril - Canada's National Observer - May 13th, 2022 [May 13th, 2022]
- The best Hubble Space Telescope images of all time! - May 11th, 2022 [May 11th, 2022]
- China to beat NASA Hubble Space Telescope with its Xuntian Telescope - HT Tech - May 11th, 2022 [May 11th, 2022]
- How many types of galaxies are there in the universe? - Interesting Engineering - April 25th, 2022 [April 25th, 2022]
- NASA to make announcement Wednesday regarding Hubble Telescope - The Edwardsville Intelligencer - March 29th, 2022 [March 29th, 2022]
- Expanding Universe. The Hubble Space Telescope - Taschen - March 26th, 2022 [March 26th, 2022]