New Hubble view of galaxy cluster Abell 1689

Esahubble_heic1317a_1024

esahubble_heic1317a September 12th, 2013

Credit: NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), J. Blakeslee (NRC Herzberg Astrophysics Program, Dominion Astrophysical Observatory), and H. Ford (JHU)

This new Hubble image shows galaxy cluster Abell 1689. It combines both visible and infrared data from Hubbles Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) with a combined exposure time of over 34 hours (image on left over 13 hours, image on right over 20 hours) to reveal this patch of sky in greater and striking detail than in previous observations. This image is peppered with glowing golden clumps, bright stars, and distant, ethereal spiral galaxies. Material from some of these galaxies is being stripped away, giving the impression that the galaxy is dripping, or bleeding, into the surrounding space. Also visible are a number of electric blue streaks, circling and arcing around the fuzzy galaxies in the centre. These streaks are the telltale signs of a cosmic phenomenon known as gravitational lensing. Abell 1689 is so massive that it bends and warps the space around it, affecting how light from objects behind the cluster travels through space. These streaks are the distorted forms of galaxies that lie behind the cluster.

Provider: Hubble Space Telescope | ESA

Image Source: https://www.spacetelescope.org/images/heic1317a/

Curator: ESA/Hubble, Garching bei München, Germany

Image Use Policy: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Image Details

Image Type
Observation
Object Name
Abell 1689 Virgo Cluster
Subject - Distant Universe
Galaxy > Type > Gravitationally Lensed
Galaxy > Grouping > Cluster
Esahubble_heic1317a_128
 

Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 13h 11m 29.8s
DEC = -1° 20’ 28.0”
Orientation
North is 25.0° CW
Field of View
3.3 x 3.2 arcminutes
Constellation
Virgo

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Red Hubble (ACS) Infrared (850) -
Red Hubble (ACS) Infrared (I) -
Red Hubble (ACS) Infrared (i) -
Green Hubble (ACS) Optical (R) -
Blue Hubble (ACS) Optical (B) -
Esahubble_heic1317a_1280
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ID
heic1317a
Subject Category
D.5.1.8   D.5.5.3  
Subject Name
Abell 1689, Virgo Cluster
Credits
NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), J. Blakeslee (NRC Herzberg Astrophysics Program, Dominion Astrophysical Observatory), and H. Ford (JHU)
Release Date
2013-09-12T17:00:00
Lightyears
Redshift
Reference Url
https://www.spacetelescope.org/images/heic1317a/
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Distance Notes
Facility
Hubble Space Telescope, Hubble Space Telescope, Hubble Space Telescope, Hubble Space Telescope, Hubble Space Telescope
Instrument
ACS, ACS, ACS, ACS, ACS
Color Assignment
Red, Red, Red, Green, Blue
Band
Infrared, Infrared, Infrared, Optical, Optical
Bandpass
850, I, i, R, B
Central Wavelength
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
J2000
Reference Value
197.874081226, -1.34111642534
Reference Dimension
4002.0, 3863.0
Reference Pixel
2006.26136349, 1730.7878634
Scale
-1.388824e-05, 1.388824e-05
Rotation
-25.039
Coordinate System Projection:
TAN
Quality
Full
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
ESA/Hubble
URL
http://www.spacetelescope.org/
Name
Email
Telephone
Address
Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 2
City
Garching bei München
State/Province
Postal Code
D-85748
Country
Germany
Rights
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Publisher
ESA/Hubble
Publisher ID
esahubble
Resource ID
heic1317a
Metadata Date
2013-09-10T09:12:57+02:00
Metadata Version
1.1
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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

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There is no distance meta data in this image.

 

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