. 24/7 Space News .
TIME AND SPACE
MUSE Reveals a Glowing Ring of Light in the Distant Universe
by Staff Writers
Geneva, Switzerland (SPX) Jun 27, 2019

The images show observations taken with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope of two magnified galaxies behind massive galaxy clusters: the pink glowing haloes reveal the gas surrounding the distant galaxies and its structure. The gravitational lensing effect from the clusters multiplies the images of the galaxies, producing up to 4 images of the same source.

The MUSE instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope in Chile has revealed very detailed haloes of neutral hydrogen around distant galaxies. A new result zooms on a few such haloes, one of them forming a large, almost complete ring of light.

This result will be presented by Adelaide Claeyssens (Centre de Recherche Astrophysique de Lyon) at the annual meeting of the European Astronomical Society (EWASS 2019) in Lyon, France, on 25 June.

Galaxies are surrounded by copious amounts of neutral hydrogen in a region extending very far away from their center. This region is very important as it is the location of the exchanges of gas between galaxies and their environment, and a key element to understand galaxy formation and evolution. In distant galaxies, this region can be revealed through the glow of the gas emission in a halo.

The MUSE instrument, in operation on the Very Large Telescope of the European Southern Observatory, is extremely efficient at identifying haloes around almost all distant galaxies it observed, but they are generally too small to show any detail or structure. The new study combined the power of MUSE with the so-called gravitational lensing effect of galaxy clusters.

Adelaide Claeyssens explains: "Indeed, massive clusters have the property to bend light rays passing through their center, as predicted by Einstein. This produces the effect of a magnifying glass: the images of background galaxies are magnified."

The study presents the two most spectacular observations of magnified haloes obtained to date with MUSE; in one case the halo presents the form of a large, almost complete ring of light.

By zooming on such hydrogen haloes surrounding galaxies, it is possible for the first time to study with unprecedented detail how the gas properties vary across the halo. This information is critical for understanding the physical processes at play in the halo, that is, how homogeneous it is and how the gas moves around the galaxy.

This discovery demonstrates the potential of MUSE combined with the lensing effects to study many more such haloes and to acquire a detailed view about galaxy formation in the universe, when it was only a few billion years old.


Related Links
MUSE
Understanding Time and Space


Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly


paypal only
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal


TIME AND SPACE
Clocks, gravity, and the limits of relativity
Paris (ESA) May 27, 2019
The International Space Station will host the most precise clocks ever to leave Earth. Accurate to a second in 300 million years the clocks will push the measurement of time to test the limits of the theory of relativity and our understanding of gravity. Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity predicted that gravity and speed influences time, the faster you travel the more time slows down, but also the more gravity pulling on you the more time slows down. On 29 May 1919 Einstein's the ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

TIME AND SPACE
Soyuz capsule safely returns three space station crew members to Earth

Hacker used $35 computer to steal restricted NASA data

Russian, North American astronauts return to earth

NASA Invests $45M in US Small Businesses for Space Tech Development

TIME AND SPACE
Ariane 5 launches T-16 and EUTELSAT 7C satellites

GREEN propellant infusion mission to test AFRL-developed green propellant

Swedish Space Corporation to introduce a new service for easy access to space

Raytheon, Northrop Grumman partner on hypersonic missile system

TIME AND SPACE
Experiments with salt-tolerant bacteria in brine have implications for life on Mars

Curiosity detects unusually high methane levels

Mars 2020 Rover Gets Its Wheels

A Rover for Phobos and Deimos

TIME AND SPACE
Luokung and Land Space to develop control system for space and ground assets

Yaogan-33 launch fails in north China, Possible debris recovered in Laos

China develops new-generation rockets for upcoming missions

China's satellite navigation industry sees rapid development

TIME AND SPACE
All-alectric Maxar 1300-Class comsat delivers broadcast services for Eutelsat customers

RBC Signals awarded SBIR Phase I contract by US Air Force

Israeli space tech firm hiSky expands to the UK

Newtec collaborates with QinetiQ, marking move into space sector

TIME AND SPACE
Researchers see around corners to detect object shapes

Benefits of 3-D Woven Composite Fabrics

ESA awards Siemens and Sonaca contract to design new additive manufacturing applications

AFRL produces lighter, thinner transparent armor

TIME AND SPACE
View of the Earth in front of the Sun

Two Earth-like Planets Discovered Near Teegarden's Star

Most Comprehensive Search for Radio Technosignatures

The formative years: giant planets vs. brown dwarfs

TIME AND SPACE
Astronomers See "Warm" Glow of Uranus's Rings

Table salt compound spotted on Europa

On Pluto the Winter is approaching, and the atmosphere is vanishing into frost

Neptune's moon Triton fosters rare icy union









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.