Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/INAF/S.Andreon et al Optical: DSS; ESO/VLT

This is a composite image of the most distant galaxy cluster yet detected. This image contains X-rays from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, optical data from the Very Large Telescope (VLT), and optical and infrared data from the Digitized Sky Survey. This record-breaking object, known as JKCS041, is observed as it was when the Universe was just one quarter of its current age. X-rays from Chandra are displayed here as the diffuse blue region, while the individual galaxies in the cluster are seen in white in the VLTs optical data, embedded in the X-ray emission.

Provider: Chandra X-ray Observatory

Image Source: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2009/jkcs041/

Curator: Chandra X-ray Observatory, Cambridge, MA, USA

Image Use Policy: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/image_use.html