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Abell
2218, an enormous cluster of galaxies that resides
in the constellation Draco some 2 billion light-years
from Earth, is so massive that its gravitational
field magnifies, brightens, and distorts the light
of more distant objects. The phenomenon, known
as a gravitational lens, is evident by the arc-shaped
patterns found throughout the Hubble image. These
"arcs" are actually distorted images of very distant
galaxies, which lie five to 10 times farther than
Abell 2218. This distant population existed when
the universe was just a quarter of its current
age. The tiny red dot just left of top center
also intrigues researchers. They believe it may
be an extremely remote object made visible by
the cluster's magnifying powers. This is the second
time Hubble observed this cluster. In 1994, scientists
analyzed a black-and-white Hubble image and discovered
more than 50 remote, young galaxies. The color
imagery shown here is even more useful. Colors
yield clues to ages, distances, and temperatures
of stars.
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