Source: https://www.techspot.com/news/91441-nasa-uses-gravitational-lensing-find-dead-galaxies-early.html To peer that far back into history, researchers utilized a technique called gravitational lensing. In space, the gravity of massive galaxy clusters in the foreground stretch and amplify the light of background galaxies. This acts as a natural magnifying glass, allowing astronomers to study details in galaxies that would otherwise be impossible to see with our current technology. “I like to think about it like doing science of the 2030s or 40s – with powerful next-generation space telescopes – but today instead by combining the capabilities of Hubble and ALMA, which are boosted by strong lensing,” Whitaker said. The team’s research findings have been published in the journal Nature. Imagine massive, dark bodies acting like simple magnifying lenses to see beyond the gravitational lense. Bob Wilson
I see a bunch of you guys /gals discussing the scopes in the other thread. It's interesting to me to follow the different perspectives from the group. Particle Physics and Theoretical Astrophysics is a bit beyond my pay grade, even though I've been interested in the similarities and difference of the microscopic and macroscopic realms for a long time. Understanding the core of a black hole, it's event horizon, or just what's at the bottom of it would be a surprise to me. Or how a worm hole effects whatever is inside it, as well as the effects it has on the matter surrounding the worm hole would most likely also surprise me. So yes, I can imagine it would be nice to be able to understand and magnify particle matter to an exponential degree. What doesn't surprise me is that some are finally starting to question the boundaries of the universe(s).
To the best of my knowledge, 'worm holes' are a theoretical construct not yet observed. As for the boundaries of the universe, the "Big Bang" theory remains operational although there are more things to understand. The mystery of 'dark matter' remains. Bob Wilson
I'm reading, a lensing galaxy is effectively increasing Hubble's mirror size, by many orders of magnitude. Size of a football field, more?
What I find paradoxical about this article is that the object in question is too far away to see. Luckily, there's something massive in between it and use. Now, we can see it. That's like going to the DMV and asking the examiner to stand in front of the eye chart so you cn the read the bottom line! Assuming the DMV employee is massive enough to bend light around them, obviously.
