NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope continues to capture rare observations of the Universe. Recently, a technique known as “Drift And Shift” (DASH) has made it possible to enlarge the field of view of the telescope camera and speed up its use. The researchers report that this is a springboard for astronomical observations in the next decade.
« Since its launch more than 30 years ago, the Hubble Space Telescope has sparked a renaissance in the study of the evolution of galaxies over the past 10 billion years in the universe “, Explain in a press release Lamiya Mowla, lead author of the preprint study and a fellow of the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Arts and Science.
In order to map the star-forming regions of the Universe and learn how the oldest and most distant galaxies are born, the Hubble Space Telescope has photographed the largest near-infrared image ever taken. As this is the longest (reddest) wavelength observed by Hubble, it allows astronomers to better see this type of galaxies (old and distant). An international team of researchers studied the image in a new high-resolution study called 3D-DASH.
« This program extends Hubble’s legacy of large-scale imaging so we can begin to unlock the mysteries of galaxies beyond our own “continues Mowla. Legacy that will make it possible to find rare objects and targets that can then be observed by the James Webb Space Telescope, arrived at destination last December. Indeed, the latter was built more for sensitive images, in order to capture fine details of a small area.
3D-Drift And Shift: faster and wider capture
Already, professional and amateur astronomers can explore the sky thanks to the online interactive version of the 3D-DASH image. Astronomers can scour the huge captured area of sky to find rare objects and identify the largest galaxies, black holes active as well as rare molten galaxies — such as immortalized last February. « I’m curious regarding monster galaxies, which are the most massive in the universe, formed by the merger of other galaxies. How did their structures develop, and what led to changes in their shape? says Mowla.
To obtain such images, the researchers used a new technique called “Drift And Shift” (DASH). This is effective for covering a large area, using the near-infrared channel of the space telescope’s Wide Field Camera 3. In standard Hubble observations, guide stars are acquired with each new pointing (each acquisition taking regarding 10 minutes). The newly developed technique presents a wider field of view, making it possible to create an image eight times larger than usual.
In detail, the camera captures several shots then assembled into one. DASH also takes images faster than the usual technique: it captures eight photos per orbit of Hubble instead of just one, and achieves in 250 hours what would normally have taken 2,000 hours.
Zoomed panels on the 3D-DASH depth map reveal the wealth of bright objects that can be studied. © Mowla et al. 2022
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Zoomed panels on the 3D-DASH depth map reveal the wealth of bright objects that can be studied. © Mowla et al. 2022
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Zoomed panels on the 3D-DASH depth map reveal the wealth of bright objects that can be studied. © Mowla et al. 2022
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Zoomed panels on the 3D-DASH depth map reveal the wealth of bright objects that can be studied. © Mowla et al. 2022
” data-medium-file=”https://trustmyscience.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/carte-3D-objets-univers-271×300.png” data-large-file=”https://trustmyscience.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/carte-3D-objets-univers.png” src=”https://trustmyscience.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/carte-3D-objets-univers.png” alt=”carte 3D objets univers” width=”640″ height=”709″ srcset=”https://trustmyscience.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/carte-3D-objets-univers.png 632w, https://trustmyscience.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/carte-3D-objets-univers-271×300.png 271w, https://trustmyscience.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/carte-3D-objets-univers-500×554.png 500w, https://trustmyscience.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/carte-3D-objets-univers-374×414.png 374w, https://trustmyscience.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/carte-3D-objets-univers-390×432.png 390w” sizes=”(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px”/>
3D-DASH provides researchers with a comprehensive near-infrared survey of the entire COSMOS field, one of the richest data fields for extragalactic studies beyond the Milky Way. The technique covers a total area nearly six times the size of the Moon in the sky as seen from Earth. This is the first time that such a large and sharp image has been acquired in the near infrared. What to still enjoy until the next generation of infrared space telescopes (including the Nancy Grace Roman), which should be launched during the next decade.
