NASA. HUBBLE TELESCOPE. LARGE FORMAT. The center of this ima - Lot 300

NASA. HUBBLE TELESCOPE. LARGE FORMAT. The center of this image taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is framed by the telltale arcs that result from a strong gravitational lensing effect, a striking astronomical phenomenon that can distort, amplify and even duplicate the appearance of distant galaxies. Gravitational lensing occurs when the light from a distant galaxy is subtly distorted by the gravitational force of an intervening astronomical object. In this case, the relatively close galaxy cluster has distorted the light of a much more distant quiescent galaxy - a sleeping giant that has exhausted the gas needed to form new stars and is located 10 billion light-years away. Astronomers can use the gravitational lensing effect like a natural magnifying glass, enabling them to inspect objects such as distant quiescent galaxies that would usually be too difficult to resolve, even for Hubble. Vintage chromogenic print. Numbering on front. Label on back. 40.6 x 40.6cm with margins.