Galaxy cluster MACS J2129-0741 and lensed galaxy MACS2129-1

Acting as a natural telescope in space, the gravity of the extremely massive foreground galaxy cluster MACS J2129-0741 magnifies, brightens, and distorts the far-distant background galaxy MACS2129-1, shown in the top box.

The middle box is a blown-up view of the gravitationally lensed galaxy. The bottom box displays a reconstructed image, based on modeling, that shows what the galaxy would look like if the galaxy cluster were not present. The galaxy appears red because it is so distant that its light is shifted into the red part of the spectrum.

Links:

• NASA Press Release
• MACS2129-1 compared with the Milky Way (artist’s impression)
• Galaxy cluster MACS J2129-0741