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Explanation: The total mass within giant galaxy cluster CL0025+1654, about 4.5 billion light-years away, produces a cosmic gravitational lens -- bending light as predicted by Einstein's theory of gravity and forming detectable images of even more distant background galaxies. Of course, the total cluster mass is the sum of the galaxies themselves, seen as ordinary luminous matter, plus the cluster's invisible dark matter whose nature remains unknown. But by analyzing the distribution of luminous matter and the properties of the gravitational lensing due to total cluster mass, researchers have solved the problem of tracing the dark matter layout. Their resulting map shows the otherwise invisible dark matter in blue, and the positions of the cluster galaxies in yellow. The work, based on extensive Hubble Space Telescope observations, reveals that the cluster's dark matter is not evenly distributed, but follows the clumps of luminous matter closely.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: dark matter - cluster of galaxies - gravitational lens
Publications with words: dark matter - cluster of galaxies - gravitational lens
See also:
- APOD: 2024 October 20 Á Dark Matter in a Simulated Universe
- Pandora's Cluster of Galaxies
- APOD: 2024 March 27 Á The Coma Cluster of Galaxies
- APOD: 2024 January 1 Á NGC 1232: A Grand Design Spiral Galaxy
- UHZ1: Distant Galaxy and Black Hole
- The Fornax Cluster of Galaxies
- Galaxy Cluster Abell 370 and Beyond