The massive galaxy cluster Abell 1351 is captured in this image by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope’s Wide Field Camera 3 and Advanced Camera for Surveys. This galaxy cluster lies in the constellation Ursa Major in the northern hemisphere.
This image is filled with streaks of light, which are actually the images of distant galaxies. The streaks are the result of gravitational lensing,
an astrophysical phenomenon that occurs when a massive celestial body
such as a galaxy cluster distorts spacetime sufficiently strongly to
affect the path of light passing through it — almost as if the light
were passing through a gigantic lens. Gravitational lensing comes in two
varieties — strong and weak — and both can give astronomers an insight
into the distribution of mass within a lensing galaxy cluster such as
Abell 1351.
This observation is part of an astronomical album
comprising snapshots of some of the most massive galaxy clusters. This
menagerie of massive clusters demonstrates interesting astrophysical
phenomena such as strong gravitational lensing, as well as showcasing
spectacular examples of violent galaxy evolution. To obtain this
astronomical album, astronomers proposed a Snapshot Program to be
slotted into Hubble’s packed observing schedule. These Snapshot Programs
are lists of separate, relatively short exposures which can fit into
gaps between longer Hubble observations. Having a large pool of Snapshot
candidates to dip into allows Hubble to use every second of observing
time possible and to maximise the scientific output of the observatory.
Source: ESA/Hubble/potw
