alb3794783

Hidden Patterns of Light, 2 of 2

A slick of sky in the constellation BoÃ¶tes, dubbed the "Extended Groth Strip", observed by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The area covered is about 1 by 0.12 degrees. These patterns of light appear to be from the first stars and galaxies that formed in the universe. In this image, all of the resolved stars and galaxies have been masked out of the initial infrared view (grey patches), and the remaining background glow has been smoothed and enhanced. This processing reveals structure too faint to be seen in the original image. The structure of this image matches just what we would expect for the patterns of clusters from the first galaxies formed in the universe. Even though any particular early galaxy would be too faint to see individually, this technique allows astronomers to better understand what things were like shortly after the Big Bang.

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Title:

Hidden Patterns of Light, 2 of 2

Caption:

A slick of sky in the constellation BoÃ¶tes, dubbed the "Extended Groth Strip", observed by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The area covered is about 1 by 0.12 degrees. These patterns of light appear to be from the first stars and galaxies that formed in the universe. In this image, all of the resolved stars and galaxies have been masked out of the initial infrared view (grey patches), and the remaining background glow has been smoothed and enhanced. This processing reveals structure too faint to be seen in the original image. The structure of this image matches just what we would expect for the patterns of clusters from the first galaxies formed in the universe. Even though any particular early galaxy would be too faint to see individually, this technique allows astronomers to better understand what things were like shortly after the Big Bang.

Credit:

Album / Science Source / NASA/JPL-Caltech/GSFC

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Image size:

9000 x 1163 px | 29.9 MB

Print size:

76.2 x 9.8 cm | 30.0 x 3.9 in (300 dpi)

Keywords:

2 OF 2 • ASTRONOMICAL OBJECT • ASTRONOMICAL • ASTRONOMY • BIRTH OF THE UNIVERSE • CELESTIAL BODY • CELESTIAL OBJECT • CONSTELLATION BOOTES • CONSTELLATION • DEEP SKY • DEEP SPACE • EXTENDED GROTH STRIP • FIRST GALAXIES • FIRST STARS • HEAVENLY BODY • HIDDEN PATTERNS • JET PROPULSION LAB • JPL • NASA • SCIENCE • SERIES • SPITZER SPACE TELESCOPE MISSION • SST MISSION