Question

The Hubble Ultra Deep Field. The photo that opens this chapter is called the Hubble Ultra Deep Field. Find the photo on the Hubble Space Telescope Web site. Learn how it was taken, what it shows, and what we've learned from it. Write a short summary of your findings.

Short answer

The Hubble Ultra Deep Field shows over 10,000 galaxies, reveals early cosmic structures, and informs us about galaxy formation and star formation over cosmic history.

Step-by-step solution

Locate the Hubble Ultra Deep Field Image

Visit the Hubble Space Telescope website. Use their search feature or navigate through their archives to find the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF) image. This photo was taken by directing the Hubble Space Telescope to a small region in the constellation Fornax.

Understand How the Image Was Taken

Read about the procedures used to take the Hubble Ultra Deep Field image. The telescope was pointed at a seemingly empty patch of sky and took observations over several months, combining light data to produce this deep field image showing thousands of galaxies.

Discover What the Image Shows

Examine the details of the HUDF image. The photo reveals over 10,000 galaxies, some of which are among the most distant and oldest ever observed, providing insight into early cosmic structures and the evolution of the universe.

Learn From the Image

Explore research articles or summaries provided on the Hubble website discussing the key findings from the HUDF. Scientists learned about the formation of early galaxies, estimating that the universe contains over 100 billion galaxies, and gained insights into the rate of star formation over cosmic history.

Key concepts

Hubble Space Telescope

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is a magnificent piece of technology that orbits Earth. It has revolutionized our understanding of the universe by providing some of the clearest images of space ever seen. Launched in 1990, this space-based observatory works above Earth's atmosphere, avoiding the distortion caused by air and allowing for incredibly detailed observations.
HST is equipped with a variety of scientific instruments that enable it to capture light from celestial objects across different wavelengths, from ultraviolet to near-infrared. This versatility allows scientists to study objects that are hundreds of billions of kilometers away. The Hubble Space Telescope's contributions have been immense, greatly advancing fields like astrophysics and cosmology. It has helped verify key theories, such as the expansion of the universe, and continues to aid in the exploration of cosmic mysteries.

Galaxy Formation

Galaxy formation is a mesmerizing process that shapes the building blocks of our universe. Galaxies are vast systems composed of stars, gas, dust, and dark matter, bound together by gravity. Their formation started very early in the universe's history, shortly after the Big Bang.
It begins with gas clouds collapsing under their gravity. As they contract, they start forming stars, creating star clusters, and eventually, large systems we know as galaxies. The study of galaxy formation is central to understanding the history and evolution of the universe. With tools like the Hubble Space Telescope, scientists can observe galaxies at different stages of their formation, offering insights into how they evolve over billions of years.

• Initial gas clouds condense into protogalaxies.
• Star formation begins within these collapsing clouds.
• Gravity molds stars into structured galaxies.

These observations help scientists test theories of galaxy formation and refine models used to predict the universe's future layout.

Cosmic History

Cosmic history encapsulates the timeline of the universe from its violent beginnings in the Big Bang to the complex structure we see today. This saga is billions of years long and tells the story of matter organizing into cosmic structures like stars, galaxies, and galaxy clusters.
One of the most thrilling aspects of studying cosmic history is examining light coming from the early universe. Since light travels at a finite speed, observing distant objects allows scientists to look back in time and witness moments from the universe's infancy. The Hubble Ultra Deep Field image is a powerful tool for such studies, as it shows galaxies at various stages of development.
The HUDF image reveals how galaxies have changed over time, providing clues about the rate of star formation and overall cosmic dynamics. Critical discoveries have been made, such as how galaxies grow and merge and how dark matter and dark energy influence cosmic evolution.

Deep Field Image

A deep field image is an astronomical photograph that displays a region of the sky extensively explored for faint objects. The Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF) is a famous example that gives us a deep look into a minuscule patch of space.
Captured by pointing the Hubble Space Telescope at a seemingly blank area of space for several months, the HUDF image documents over 10,000 galaxies. Some of these galaxies are billions of light-years away, among the oldest and most distant observed. The process involved collecting light over many hours or days, gradually unveiling the universe's most remote corners.
This deep field image has taught scientists much about the universe's structure and size. It has proven that what may appear empty can host a multitude of distant galaxies, increasing our understanding of how galaxies are spread throughout the cosmos. This revelation, that each small patch of sky contains so much, suggests the universe holds dramatically more galaxies than we had previously imagined.