Read the Beforeitsnews.com story here. Advertise at Before It's News here.
Profile image
Story Views
Now:
Last hour:
Last 24 hours:
Total:

WISE Telescope Spies Gigantic Galaxy Clusters

% of readers think this story is Fact. Add your two cents.


April Flowers for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online

As grand and colorful as it is, our solar system is a fleck in the grander cosmos. Our Milky Way galaxy has hundreds of billions of solar systems, yet it is only just a drop in the sea of galaxies.

Galaxy clusters, the rarest and largest of galaxy groupings, can be the hardest to find, which is where NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) becomes helpful. So far, the mission’s all-sky infrared maps have revealed one distant galaxy cluster and are expected to uncover thousands more.

A galaxy cluster is a collection of up to thousands of galaxies bound together by gravity. The cluster was born out of seeds of matter formed in the very early universe and experienced rapid growth from a process called inflation.

“One of the key questions in cosmology is how did the first bumps and wiggles in the distribution of matter in our universe rapidly evolve into the massive structures of galaxies we see today,” said Anthony Gonzalez of University of Florida, Gainesville. “By uncovering the most massive of galaxy clusters billions of light-years away with WISE, we can test theories of the universe’s early inflation period.”

In 2011, WISE completed its all-sky survey after surveying the entire sky twice at infrared wavelengths. As expected, the 16-inch telescope ran out of coolant in 2010. However, it was able to complete the second sky scan using two of its four infrared channels that functioned without coolant. The goal of WISE’s mission extension was to hunt for more near-Earth asteroids via a project called NEOWISE.

The WISE team has since combined all the data, allowing astronomers to study everything from nearby stars to distant galaxies. Significantly more sensitive than those previously released, these next generation all-sky images are part of a new project called “AIIWISE.” The images will be made publically available in late 2013.

The team plans to look for more massive galaxy clusters using the enhanced WISE data. The one they have spotted so far, MOO J2342.0+1301, is located about 7 billion light-years away. This puts it about halfway back to the time of the Big Bang. This galaxy cluster is hundreds of times more massive than our own Milky Way.

Using the improved AIIWISE data to scan the entire sky, the team will search out the true monsters of the bunch. These clusters are expected to be thousands of times larger than the Milky Way and even farther back in the history of the universe than MOO J2342.0+1301.

Because they are so far away and not many had time to assemble by then, galaxy clusters from the early universe are hard to find. Moreover, they are difficult to see using visible-light telescopes. The light that left these faraway structures in visible wavelengths has been stretched into longer, infrared wavelengths because of the expansion of space. Because WISE scanned the entire sky in infrared, it is capable of hunting down some of these rare colossal structures.

“I had pretty much written off using WISE to find distant galaxy clusters because we had to reduce the telescope diameter to only 16 inches to stay within our cost guidelines, so I am thrilled that we can find them after all,” said Peter Eisenhardt, the WISE project scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. “The longer exposures from AllWISE open the door wide to see the most massive structures forming in the distant universe.”

Other projects are planned for the WISE enhanced data include the search for nearby cool stars – some with masses as low as planets – called a “Tyche.” If such a celestial object exists close to our solar system, WISE will reveal it in the infrared data.

The results of this study were published in the Astrophysical Journal.

redOrbit.com
offers Science, Space, Technology, Health news, videos, images and
reference information. For the latest science news, space news,
technology news, health news visit redOrbit.com frequently. Learn
something new every day.\”


Source:


Before It’s News® is a community of individuals who report on what’s going on around them, from all around the world.

Anyone can join.
Anyone can contribute.
Anyone can become informed about their world.

"United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.

Before It’s News® is a community of individuals who report on what’s going on around them, from all around the world. Anyone can join. Anyone can contribute. Anyone can become informed about their world. "United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.


LION'S MANE PRODUCT


Try Our Lion’s Mane WHOLE MIND Nootropic Blend 60 Capsules


Mushrooms are having a moment. One fabulous fungus in particular, lion’s mane, may help improve memory, depression and anxiety symptoms. They are also an excellent source of nutrients that show promise as a therapy for dementia, and other neurodegenerative diseases. If you’re living with anxiety or depression, you may be curious about all the therapy options out there — including the natural ones.Our Lion’s Mane WHOLE MIND Nootropic Blend has been formulated to utilize the potency of Lion’s mane but also include the benefits of four other Highly Beneficial Mushrooms. Synergistically, they work together to Build your health through improving cognitive function and immunity regardless of your age. Our Nootropic not only improves your Cognitive Function and Activates your Immune System, but it benefits growth of Essential Gut Flora, further enhancing your Vitality.



Our Formula includes: Lion’s Mane Mushrooms which Increase Brain Power through nerve growth, lessen anxiety, reduce depression, and improve concentration. Its an excellent adaptogen, promotes sleep and improves immunity. Shiitake Mushrooms which Fight cancer cells and infectious disease, boost the immune system, promotes brain function, and serves as a source of B vitamins. Maitake Mushrooms which regulate blood sugar levels of diabetics, reduce hypertension and boosts the immune system. Reishi Mushrooms which Fight inflammation, liver disease, fatigue, tumor growth and cancer. They Improve skin disorders and soothes digestive problems, stomach ulcers and leaky gut syndrome. Chaga Mushrooms which have anti-aging effects, boost immune function, improve stamina and athletic performance, even act as a natural aphrodisiac, fighting diabetes and improving liver function. Try Our Lion’s Mane WHOLE MIND Nootropic Blend 60 Capsules Today. Be 100% Satisfied or Receive a Full Money Back Guarantee. Order Yours Today by Following This Link.


Report abuse

    Comments

    Your Comments
    Question   Razz  Sad   Evil  Exclaim  Smile  Redface  Biggrin  Surprised  Eek   Confused   Cool  LOL   Mad   Twisted  Rolleyes   Wink  Idea  Arrow  Neutral  Cry   Mr. Green

    MOST RECENT
    Load more ...

    SignUp

    Login

    Newsletter

    Email this story
    Email this story

    If you really want to ban this commenter, please write down the reason:

    If you really want to disable all recommended stories, click on OK button. After that, you will be redirect to your options page.