Hubble, which was recently brought back online after a month of maintenance, has caught this beautiful image of a galaxy. That is a massive of about 10 billion light-years away. By utilizing the power of gravity, the telescope can observe and focus across such a large distance.
MRG-M0138 is framed by a smattering of visible galaxies and stars that arc in a circular pattern. NASA characterizes this as a “slumbering giant” that has run out of the gas required to generate new stars. Gravitational lensing is a unique optical effect caused by the Hubble Space Telescope’s capacity to perceive huge distances.
“Astronomers can use gravitational lensing as a natural magnifying glass, allowing them to inspect objects like distant dormant galaxies which would usually be too difficult for even Hubble to resolve,” NASA explains.
In a thorough video released earlier this year, NASA discussed how gravitational lensing works. But in brief, gravitational lensing occurs when light from a distant galaxy is subtly distorted by the gravitational pull of an intervening astronomical object.
Gravity distorts space in such a way that it creates an “optic” that guides light towards Hubble. It allows observing galaxies that would otherwise be too far away to be studied with present technology and physical telescopes. It’s like staring through a magnifying glass, according to NASA.
The Advanced Camera for Surveys was installed on Servicing Mission 3B, but was considered a “failed instrument.” This was repaired during Servicing Mission 4. “Two failed instruments, the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) and the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) were revived by the first-ever on-orbit repairs,” NASA continues. “With these efforts, Hubble was brought to the apex of its scientific capabilities.”
Hubble had been in operation for 31 years when it was nearly brought down by a problem in June of 2021. NASA was able to repair the issue and keep the iconic telescope operating after a month of labor, allowing it to continue capturing some of the most beautiful photographs of the universe humans have ever seen.
