Using Space-Time Distortions, Scientists Discover Hidden Galaxies

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Using Space-Time Distortions, Scientists Discover Hidden Galaxies
This image composite shows a warped and magnified galaxy discovered by the Herschel Space Observatory. This is just one of five gravitational lenses found in the first set of data released from the Herschel-ATLAS survey. (Image credit: ESA/NASA/JPL-Caltech/Keck/SMA [Full Story])

Previouslyhidden behind veils of dust, ancient galaxies have been detected usinganeffect caused by the space-time distortions in the vast distancebetween thosegalaxies and Earth.

Thediscovery of the distant galaxies could shed light on formation of theearlyuniverse and galaxies, researchers said. [Newphoto of theancient galaxies]

Thegravitational pull of massive intervening objects distorts space-time,aneffect that can deflect light. This "gravitationallensing"can increase the visibility of the distant galaxies ? or possibly leadresearchers to seeing multiple images of them.

"Iwas predicting about four to six of these sources to be detected in ourfirstdata collected one year ago," said researcher Mattia Negrello, anastronomer and cosmologist at The Open University in Milton Keynes,England."Those data corresponded to about 3 percent of the total area that willbemapped by Herschel within the H-ATLAS (Herschel Astrophysical TerahertzLargeArea Survey). You can imagine how excited I was when we discoveredexactlyfive."

Theyobserved the sky for submillimeter radiation, identified the brightestobjectsand removed a few "contaminants" such as nearby galaxies. Everythingthatwas left turned out to be the star-forming  galaxies. "This isarguablythe easiest way to spot gravitational lensing events ever conceived,"Negrello said.

Thefive galaxies the researchers found are just the tip of the iceberg,Negrellotold SPACE.com. "We expect to discover more than 100 of them in thefullH-ATLAS," he said. By capturing details amplified by gravitationallensingon largenumbers of these galaxies, the scientists hope to betterunderstand howthey formed and evolved.

Charles Q. Choi
Charles Q. Choi
Contributing Writer

Charles Q. Choi is a contributing writer for Space.com and Live Science. He covers all things human origins and astronomy as well as physics, animals and general science topics. Charles has a Master of Arts degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia, School of Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Florida. Charles has visited every continent on Earth, drinking rancid yak butter tea in Lhasa, snorkeling with sea lions in the Galapagos and even climbing an iceberg in Antarctica. Visit him at http://www.sciwriter.us