CosmicRamiIncredible new #JWST deep field (120 hours!) released by folks from ESA/NASA Webb teams.
Not only is nearly everything in this image a galaxy (the two spiky stars are not), but those curved arcs are images of galaxies beyond this cluster, which are projected and warped into our view thanks to the power of gravity!
It's called a gravitational lens. To visualise what's happening, take a look at this diagram.
There are distant galaxies that we can't normally see. There's also a galaxies between them and us, with lots of mass.
This mass warps space-time and bends the distant galaxy light towards us so we see them.
I am amazed. You should be amazed. This is a really epic image.
Galaxy image and alt-text credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, H. Atek, M. Zamani (ESA/Webb)
Diagram credit: NASA, ESA & L. Calçada
