Hubble Ultra Deep Field Images

March 9, 2004 9:11 AM

Hubble's Deepest View Ever of the Universe Unveils Earliest Galaxies.The deepest portrait of the visible universe yet taken -- 400 million years after the Big Bang. Mirrors here and here.
posted by QuestionableSwami (9 comments total)

Beautiful photo, thanks for sharing.
posted by scottymac at 10:19 AM on March 9, 2004

Yeah, thank god they're letting that clunker die. I mean, it's clearly outlived its usefulness, right? Right?
posted by mkultra at 10:31 AM on March 9, 2004

Thanks, Q. I love this stuff.
posted by squirrel at 10:51 AM on March 9, 2004

In the panel at top, left, three galaxies just below center are enmeshed in battle, their shapes distorted by the brutal encounter. The panel at top, center, reveals an edge-on spiral galaxy fending off a weirdly shaped blue galaxy. The panel at bottom, right, is littered with close encounters between galaxies that have been shredded by the interactions.

Nice writing, too. The 10 year old in me is all gooey inside.
posted by chicobangs at 11:53 AM on March 9, 2004

with all those galaxies out there, I have no doubt that one of them is currently working through a George Lucas story line.... but with better dialogue.
posted by pejamo at 1:44 PM on March 9, 2004

The original deep field photo had at least 1500 galaxies visible. All contained in a patch of sky the width of a dime at 75 feet away. (or 18mm at 23 meters)
posted by jjj606 at 6:03 PM on March 9, 2004

Yeah, thank god they're letting that clunker die.

this can't be pointed out enough.
posted by FeetOfClay at 10:00 AM on March 10, 2004

'Back Room' Decision to Cancel Hubble Servicing Criticized. "A fresh salvo was fired Tuesday in the fight to save the Hubble Space Telescope. Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski accused NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe of making a unilateral decision to let the observatory die prematurely against the wishes of astronomers."
posted by Dean King at 10:35 AM on March 10, 2004

It's stunning to imagine the scale of that photo. We're just a dot on a jot, orbiting an iota in a speck.
posted by crunchland at 10:45 AM on March 10, 2004