Three of NASA’s most cutting-edge space telescopes are preparing to collaborate and peer into the deepest realms of the universe, opening new frontiers for humanity.
According to Space.com, the space telescopes Hubble, Spitzer, and Chandra will collectively observe six massive galaxy clusters over the next three years as part of the “Frontier Fields” project. By working together, this trio will be capable of reaching galaxies that existed in the early universe, around several hundred million years after the Big Bang. John Grunsfeld, head of NASA’s Science Missions, stated, “The Frontier Fields program is like a scientific Disneyland: amazing discoveries, distant worlds, and fantastic new experiences for astronomers.”
Grunsfeld explained that each telescope captures images using different wavelengths of light, helping researchers better understand the fundamental physics of celestial objects in the distant universe. For example, the Hubble space telescope observes visible, near-infrared, and ultraviolet light, while Spitzer’s mission is to capture infrared images. Chandra, on the other hand, excels in the X-ray spectrum. The project leverages the phenomenon known as “gravitational lensing,” in which the gravitational field of a massive object nearby bends and magnifies the light originating from a more distant object, similar to how a magnifying glass works.
For the first time, NASA’s space telescopes collaborate on a significant mission – (Photo: NASA)
In this case, six massive galaxy clusters, starting with Abell 2744 (also known as Pandora’s Cluster), act as natural lenses, and the magnified objects will be faint, distant galaxies, some of which have never been observed before. Jennifer Lotz, the principal investigator at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, explained, “The idea of the program is to use the natural telescopes of the universe, combined with these high-tech observatories in space, to challenge our own understanding, and make the universe look deeper.”
The calculations suggest that these “galaxy lenses” will boost Hubble’s capabilities by at least a factor of three. In some cases, they could even enable observations at distances ten times greater than Hubble’s usual range.
Data collected by Hubble and Spitzer will help scientists accurately measure the distance and mass of these galaxies. Meanwhile, Chandra’s observations will support calculations of the mass ratios of the galaxy clusters, the actual capabilities of gravitational lensing, and the discovery of background galaxies, which may contain supermassive black holes at their centers. Peter Capak, the principal investigator for the Spitzer project at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, noted, “We want to know when and how the first stars and galaxies formed in the universe, and every telescope provides a different piece of the crossword puzzle.”
The initial observation phase began with a continuous 50-hour run on October 25th. During this phase, Hubble will complete 70 orbits around Earth over a six-week period, focusing on Abell 2744, a cluster formed from the collision of four smaller galaxies approximately 350 million years ago.