Astronomers accidentally discover new galaxy 11 billion light-years from Earth

Astronomers accidentally discover new galaxy 11 billion light-years from Earth
Astronomers accidentally discover new galaxy 11 billion light-years from Earth

Astronomers have accidentally discovered a new galaxy 11 billion light-years from Earth, thanks to the Hubble Space Telescope.

Astronomers were looking at another galaxy cluster, known as SDSS J223010.47-081017.8, when they spotted what they thought was an exact reflection of the galaxy and its companion.

The discovery was made due to gravitational lensing, first predicted by Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity.

This occurs when a massive amount of matter, such as a galaxy cluster, 'creates a gravitational field that distorts and magnifies the light from galaxies that are behind it it but in the same line of sight,' according to NASA.

The effect is similar to looking in a magnifying glass and allows researchers to discover early galaxies that can not yet be seen with modern technology.

Astronomers using the Hubble found a new galaxy 11 billion light-years away. They were looking at galaxy cluster SDSS J223010.47-081017.8 when they saw an exact reflection of the galaxy and its companion

Astronomers using the Hubble found a new galaxy 11 billion light-years away. They were looking at galaxy cluster SDSS J223010.47-081017.8 when they saw an exact reflection of the galaxy and its companion

'We were really stumped,' said astronomer Timothy Hamilton of Shawnee State University in Portsmouth, Ohio in a statement.

The reflected images are now known as Hamilton's Object, after the aforementioned Hamilton.

 'My first thought was that maybe they were interacting galaxies with tidally stretched-out arms,' Hamilton added. 'It didn't really fit well, but I didn't know what else to think.'

The Hubble was looking at the cores of active galaxies, also known as quasars, when it came across the two bright images that looked like they were reflections of one another

The Hubble was looking at the cores of active galaxies, also known as quasars, when it came across the two bright images that looked like they were reflections of one another

The Hubble was looking at the cores of active galaxies, also known as quasars, when it came across the two bright images that looked like they were reflections of one another.

'Think of the rippled surface of a swimming pool on a sunny day, showing patterns of bright light on the bottom of the pool,' the study's lead author, Richard Griffiths, said in a statement.

'These bright patterns on the bottom are caused by a similar kind of effect as gravitational lensing. The ripples on the surface act as partial lenses and focus sunlight into bright squiggly patterns on the bottom.'

The double object looked like galaxy bulges, along with a strange nearby object.

It was eventually determined that the linear objects were actually the stretched images of the distant galaxy.

Gravitational lensing was predicted by Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity. Einstein's theory was proven in July after scientists were able to see light coming from behind a black hole for the first time ever

Gravitational lensing was predicted by Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity. Einstein's theory was proven in July after scientists were able to see light coming from behind a black hole for the first time ever 

WHAT IS GRAVITATIONAL LENSING?

Gravitational lensing occurs when a massive galaxy or cluster of galaxies bend the light emitted from a more distant galaxy.

This forms a highly magnified, though much distorted image.

This is because massive objects bend the spacetime around them, making light travel in a different path.

This theory was first proposed by Einstein in his theory of General Relativity. 

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Gravitational lensing was predicted by Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity.

Einstein's theory was proven in July after scientists were able to see light coming from behind a black hole for the first time ever. 

The phenomenon is caused by the gravity of dense amounts of dark

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