Supernova from the Universe’s Childhood
A massive galaxy cluster acts as a giant lens. Its gravity warps the fabric of space, and the light of distant objects, bending around this curvature, is amplified and split into multiple images.
Double Focus: How a Galaxy Cluster Revealed Two 'Swallowtails'
Light from a distant galaxy travels toward us for billions of years, but along the way it can run into a massive galaxy cluster. Its gravity acts like curved glass: it bends the path of rays, so instead of one image, we see several — sometimes arcs, sometimes points.
More Than a Hundred Distant Stars in a Single Galaxy
Light from the distant Dragon Galaxy has been traveling toward us for more than seven billion years. On its way, it passes by a huge galaxy cluster whose gravity bends the path of light like a lens. As a result, the galaxy appears brighter and larger than it really is, just as a magnifying glass enlarges fine print.