LINK This star is the farthest ever seen. It’s 9 billion light-years away. - The Washington Post
Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have found the farthest star ever observed, a bright dot 9 billion light-years away. Forget thanking their lucky stars: This discovery required the fortuitous alignment of a massive galactic cluster. The cluster warped the starlight, bending it toward Earth while magnifying the star 2,000 times.
Officially, the star’s name is MACS J1149+2223 Lensed Star 1. But the astronomers call it Icarus. Icarus was a hundredfold more distant than any other lone star previously detected, according to Patrick L. Kelly, an astrophysicist at the University of Minnesota. Normally only phenomena such as supernovas — catastrophic stellar explosions — or entire galaxies are detectable at such vast distances.
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7 comments
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.I just love this NASA and astrophysics shit!!! Keep it coming. I follow it on Tumblr too.
TheLiberalGent
Level 7
Apr 21, 2018
1
Can't wait till we get a much better understanding of 'dark matter/energy'!!!
MissaDixon
Level 7
Apr 17, 2018
2
Reports this year have pretty much debunked the dark matter/energy theory.
I listen to him every morning.
@zblaze Why thank you!!! I knew all of that but... my reference was for those not as informed..."Can't wait till we get a much better understanding of 'dark...'" I was alluding to these findings because the waters are VERY muddy in physics right now. But I loved the video.
Gravitational lensing has become an amazing tool for astronomers !
RedskyRiver
Level 6
Apr 13, 2018
2
have not checked this, but take your word for it, great discovery in the field of astrophysics , another nail in the coffin of those who think that the universe is only 6000 years old.
magicwatch
Level 7
Apr 13, 2018
3
So most likely no longer exist so why give much of a damn for the dissapeared. Just saying... how can I apply that knowledge in my current situation?
GipsyOfNewSpain
Level 9
Apr 13, 2018
0
@WizardBill what constructive are you doing with your awe-inspiration? A spacecraft for exploration and charting of the route?
@WizardBill knowledge must have a purpose.
@WizardBill No, I am Ignoring the Useless of your knowledge.
@GipsyOfNewSpain Keep Scrolling then.
@zblaze oh... another star counter.
I heard about this. The star is in a different galaxy than the Milky Way. Normally stars outside of our galaxy cannot be resolved individually, but this star’s image is magnified because of gravitational lensing. Insane.
indirect76
Level 7
Apr 13, 2018
2
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