An image of the James Webb Space Telescope (Image source: NASA)
A collage of eight images showing gravitational lensing has been released for the ESA/Webb picture of the month. These images offer us a peek into the Universe’s early history — as far back as when the Universe was barely a billion years old.
In space, large masses bend the spacetime around them. As a result, light bends as it travels through that region. So, when trying to view a background object that lines up with this large mass, the image appears arced, circular, or even repeated.
This is what is called gravitational lensing, and it offers some advantages. The large mass acts as a gravitational lens or a “natural telescope,” magnifying and distorting the light of distant galaxies. Using telescopes like Webb, and taking advantage of gravitational lensing, scientists can see distant objects that represent what the universe was like in its early days.
COSMOS-Web is a 255-hour Treasury program dedicated to understanding those early days. The program aims to understand how massive structures like galaxy clusters formed and evolved. Researchers used data from COSMOS-Web to search for gravitational lenses.
The survey found over 400 lensing candidates after inspecting more than 42,000 galaxies. Out of the lensing candidates, the eight most spectacular ones were selected. These are the ones shown in the collage.
Webb’s Picture of the Month for September (Image source: ESA/Webb, NASA, CSA, G. Gozaliasl, A. Koekemoer, and M. Franco)
The foreground galaxies in the image capture the Universe when it was around 2.7 to 8.9 billion years old. The background galaxies are the ones with distorted images, and they date back even further.
The background galaxy in the top row and second column reveals the Universe when it was barely a billion years old. This galaxy is nicknamed, “The COSMOS-Web Ring.” Surveys like this are helping us view distant galaxies and the early Universe in greater detail.
Chibuike Okpara – Tech Writer – 222 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2024
I have always been fascinated by technology and digital devices my entire life and even got addicted to it. I have always marveled at the intricacy of even the simplest digital devices and systems around us. I have been writing and publishing articles online for about 6 years now, just about a year ago, I found myself lost in the marvel of smartphones and laptops we have in our hands every day. I developed a passion for learning about new devices and technologies that come with them and at some point, I asked myself, “Why not get into writing tech articles?” It is useless to say I followed up the idea — it is evident. I am an open-minded individual who derives an infinite amount of joy from researching and discovering new information, I believe there is so much to learn and such a short life to live, so I put my time to good use — learning new things. I am a ‘bookworm’ of the internet and digital devices. When I am not writing, you will find me on my devices still, I do explore and admire the beauty of nature and creatures. I am a fast learner and quickly adapt to changes, always looking forward to new adventures.