Webb Telescope Captures Rare Double Gravitational Lens in MACS J0454.1-0300
The Picture of the Month from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) showcases the galaxy cluster MACS J0454.1-0300, situated five billion light-years away from our planet. This striking image captures a unique gravitational lensing phenomenon, where a single background galaxy is visible in four or more separate images, observed twice within the same cluster. The light emitted by the cluster's galaxies dates back to a time when the Universe was approximately eight billion years old. Gravitational lensing, a concept introduced by Einstein's theory of relativity, enhances the visibility of distant objects. While the Hubble Space Telescope captured this region in 2014, Webb's ability to detect redder light has unveiled hundreds of previously hidden galaxies. Image credits: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, L. Furtak, S. Fujimoto.
Key facts
- The James Webb Space Telescope's newest Picture of the Month features the galaxy cluster MACS J0454.1-0300.
- MACS J0454.1-0300 is located five billion light-years from Earth.
- The image shows a rare gravitational lensing configuration with four or more images of the same galaxy, seen in only 10–20% of galaxy clusters.
- This is the first time such a rare configuration has been observed twice in a single galaxy cluster.
- The galaxies in the image are seen as they were when the Universe was about eight billion years old.
- Some lensed regions have been magnified by a factor of 300.
- The Hubble Space Telescope captured the same area 12 years ago, in 2014.
- Webb's new image reveals hundreds of galaxies missing from the earlier Hubble image due to its greater sensitivity to redder light.
Entities
Artists
- L. Furtak
- S. Fujimoto
- Nick Rose
Institutions
- NASA
- ESA
- CSA
- James Webb Space Telescope
- Hubble Space Telescope
- PetaPixel
Locations
- Earth