Hubble Extreme Deep Field

Hubble Extreme Deep Field.
Video (02:42) about how the Hubble eXtreme Deep Field image was made.

The Hubble eXtreme Deep Field (XDF) is an image of a small part of space in the center of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field. It is in the direction of the constellation Fornax. The image shows the deepest optical view into space.[1][2]

The XDF image was released on September 25, 2012. The image combined 10 years of images. It shows galaxies that are over 13.2 billion years old. The exposure time was two million seconds, or about 23 days. The least bright galaxies are one ten-billionth the brightness of what the human eye can see. Many of the smaller galaxies are very young galaxies. Some of them became the major galaxies, like the Milky Way and other galaxies in our galactic neighborhood.[2]

The Hubble eXtreme Deep Field adds another 5,500 galaxies to Hubble's 2003 and 2004 view into a very small part of the farthest universe.[3]

eXtreme Deep Field

  • XDF size compared to the size of the moon - several thousand galaxies, each consisting of billions of stars, are in this small view.
    XDF size compared to the size of the moon - several thousand galaxies, each consisting of billions of stars, are in this small view.
  • XDF (2012) view - each light speck is a galaxy - some of these are as old as 13.2 billion years[1] - the universe is estimated to contain 200 billion galaxies.
    XDF (2012) view - each light speck is a galaxy - some of these are as old as 13.2 billion years[1] - the universe is estimated to contain 200 billion galaxies.
  • XDF image shows mature galaxies in the foreground plane - nearly mature galaxies from 5 to 9 billion years ago - protogalaxies beyond 9 billion years.
    XDF image shows mature galaxies in the foreground plane - nearly mature galaxies from 5 to 9 billion years ago - protogalaxies beyond 9 billion years.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Moskowitz, Clara (September 25, 2012). "Hubble Telescope Reveals Farthest View Into Universe Ever". Space.com. Retrieved September 26, 2012.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Hubble Goes to the eXtreme to Assemble Farthest-Ever View of the Universe". NASA. 25 September 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
  3. ↑ "New 'extreme' Hubble telescope shows deepest view yet of night sky". The Times of India. 26 September 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2012.