The James Webb Space Telescope continues to peer into the recesses of our universe. One of its latest images takes advantage of a cosmic effect known as gravitational lensing, allowing scientists to peer further through the universe than might normally be possible. The result, though, is a cosmic mirage, allowing Webb to pick up the same galaxy at three distinctly different points in time.
If you’ve paid attention to Webb’s previous observations at all, then you’ll know that looking at galaxies far, far away is like looking back in time. Because light travels slowly, it’s possible to see what the galaxy was like thousands of years ago when stars or galaxies are located thousands of light-years from us. This cosmic mirage is a perfect example of how like time traveling observing the universe can be.
That’s because this new image from Webb, which the European Space Agency shared this month, showcases the same galaxy cluster three different times in the same image. What’s more intriguing is that the three different times are also different points in time, allowing astronomers to observe the cosmic mirage at three different points in time.
In this example, we see the supernova-hosting galaxie AT 2022riv reflected through time. The gravitational lensing of a galaxy cluster called RX J 2129. makes this galaxy visible. It is far away from us. Scientists were able see the cosmic mirage by using strong gravity from the galaxy cluster in order to look deeper into the universe.
The mirage is so spectacular because it showcases AT 2022riv’s supernova at three different points in time. While the first photo shows the supernova, the second is 320 days after. At that point, the supernova has already faded. The cosmic mirage’s final appearance is 1000 days following the initial one.
This phenomenon is spectacular because it allows us to see just how strong the effects of gravitational lensing can be. If we are able to replicate this phenomenon in other observations we will be able to further examine important cosmic events. This would give scientists even more data from which they can learn and decode.
If you’re looking for more cool space news, you could also check out the latest research about Jupiter’s auroras, which scientists have proven exist on all four of the larger moons orbiting the gas giant.
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