Credit: G. Chartas et al., 2004,
The Astrophysical Journal, vol. 606, pg. 78
Splitting Images
Matter bends space, causing strange optical illusions. The image above is one such illusion, a single distant active galaxy split into 4 separate images by a large distribution of mass lying between us and the active galaxy. This image was obtained by the Chandra X-ray Observatory - Chandra's superb spatial resolving power is needed to distinguish the four separate components, labelled A through D in the image above. Strangely enough the individual components are not of equal brightness. Astronomers believe that the differences in brightness between the components in the X-ray image and at other wavelengths may be due to a "microlensing" event, caused by a small body (like a star, or star cluster) passing between the quasar and the observer at earth.
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Page Author: Dr. Michael F. Corcoran
Last modified Monday, 26-Feb-2024 17:10:16 EST
