Bright X-Ray cluster acts as strong gravitational lens

Eso_eso9509a_1024

eso_eso9509a June 19th, 1995

Credit: ESO

This is an optical image of the most luminous ROSAT cluster of galaxies RXJ1347.5-1145, obtained with the MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope at the La Silla Observatory. The image shows the central part of the cluster with two bright gravitational arcs. The arcs are 5 - 6 arcseconds long and located about 35 arcseconds to the North-East and South-West of the brightest galaxies in the cluster. They were detected on exposures of only 3 minutes duration with the 2.2-metre telescope and are among the brightest such arcs ever found. At the distance of the cluster, approx. 5,000 million light-years, the arcs are situated at a projected distance of about 500,000 light-years from the centre of the cluster. It is an interesting possibility that the two arcs may in fact be two images of the same, very distant galaxy, that is situated far beyond RXJ1347.5-1145 and whose light has been bent and split by this cluster's strong gravitational field.

Provider: European Southern Observatory

Image Source: https://www.eso.org/public/images/eso9509a/

Curator: European Southern Observatory, Garching bei München, Germany

Image Use Policy: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

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Image Details

Image Type
Observation
Object Name
RXJ1347.5-1145
Subject - Distant Universe
Galaxy > Type > Gravitationally Lensed
Galaxy > Grouping > Cluster

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Grayscale MPG-2.2m (WFI) Optical -
Eso_eso9509a_1280
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ID
eso9509a
Subject Category
D.5.1.8   D.5.5.3  
Subject Name
RXJ1347.5-1145
Credits
ESO
Release Date
1995-06-19T00:00:00
Lightyears
Redshift
Reference Url
https://www.eso.org/public/images/eso9509a/
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Distance Notes
Redshift distance from NED.
Facility
MPG/ESO 2.2-metre telescope
Instrument
WFI
Color Assignment
Grayscale
Band
Optical
Bandpass
Central Wavelength
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
Equinox
Reference Value
Reference Dimension
2252.0, 2252.0
Reference Pixel
Scale
Rotation
Coordinate System Projection:
Quality
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
European Southern Observatory
URL
http://www.eso.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
European Southern Observatory
Publisher ID
eso
Resource ID
eso9509a
Metadata Date
2016-07-19T14:35:09+02:00
Metadata Version
1.1
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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

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