Galaxies Gather at Great Distances

Spitzer_sig06-015_1024

spitzer_sig06-015 June 5th, 2006

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/M. Brodwin (JPL)

Astronomers have discovered nearly 300 galaxy clusters and groups, including almost 100 located 8 to 10 billion light-years away, using the space-based Spitzer Space Telescope and the ground-based Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Tucson, Ariz. The new sample represents a six-fold increase in the number of known galaxy clusters and groups at such extreme distances, and will allow astronomers to systematically study massive galaxies two-thirds of the way back to the Big Bang.

A mosaic portraying a bird's eye view of the field in which the distant clusters were found is shown at upper left. It spans a region of sky 40 times larger than that covered by the full moon as seen from Earth. Thousands of individual images from Spitzer's infrared array camera instrument were stitched together to create this mosaic. The distant clusters are marked with orange dots.

Close-up images of three of the distant galaxy clusters are shown in the adjoining panels. The clusters appear as a concentration of red dots near the center of each image. These images reveal the galaxies as they were over 8 billion years ago, since that's how long their light took to reach Earth and Spitzer's infrared eyes.

These pictures are composites, combining ground-based optical images captured by the Mosaic-I camera on the Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak, with infrared pictures taken by Spitzer's infrared array camera. Blue and green represent visible light at wavelengths of 0.4 microns and 0.8 microns, respectively, while red indicates infrared light at 4.5 microns.

Kitt Peak National Observatory is part of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory in Tuscon, Ariz.

Provider: Spitzer Space Telescope

Image Source: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/2275-sig06-015-Galaxies-Gather-at-Great-Distances

Curator: Spitzer Space Telescope, Pasadena, CA, USA

Image Use Policy: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/info/18-Image-Use-Policy

View Options

Image Details

Image Type
Observation
Object Name
Distant Galaxy Clusters
Subject - Distant Universe
Galaxy > Grouping > Cluster

Distance

Universescale3
9,100,000,000 light years

Position Details

Position (ICRS)
RA = 14h 38m 8.7s
DEC = 34° 14’ 19.2”
Constellation
Bootes

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
KPNO-4m (Mosaic-1) Optical -
Spitzer (IRAC) Infrared -
Multiple image collage
Spitzer_sig06-015_1280
×
ID
sig06-015
Subject Category
D.5.5.3.  
Subject Name
Distant Galaxy Clusters
Credits
NASA/JPL-Caltech/M. Brodwin (JPL)
Release Date
2006-06-05
Lightyears
9,100,000,000
Redshift
1.41
Reference Url
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/2275-sig06-015-Galaxies-Gather-at-Great-Distances
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Distance taken from Fast Facts using z=1.24. Other values include z=1.26 (8.7 GLyr), z=1.41 (9.1 GLyr).
Facility
KPNO 4m, Spitzer
Instrument
Mosaic-1, IRAC
Color Assignment
Band
Optical, Infrared
Bandpass
Central Wavelength
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
M
Coordinate Frame
ICRS
Equinox
J2000
Reference Value
219.53629167, 34.23866667
Reference Dimension
Reference Pixel
Scale
Rotation
Coordinate System Projection:
Quality
Position
FITS Header
Notes
Position refers to ISCS J1438.1+3414
Creator (Curator)
Spitzer Space Telescope
URL
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu
Name
Spitzer Space Telescope
Email
Telephone
Address
1200 E. California Blvd.
City
Pasadena
State/Province
CA
Postal Code
91125
Country
USA
Rights
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/info/18-Image-Use-Policy
Publisher
Spitzer Science Center
Publisher ID
spitzer
Resource ID
sig06-015.tif
Metadata Date
2012-10-11
Metadata Version
1.1
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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

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Universescalefull
9,100,000,000 light years

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