Four supernova images in an Einstein cross: This image shows four different images of the same supernova whose light has been distorted and magnified by the huge galaxy cluster MACS J1149+2223 in front of it. The huge mass of the cluster and one of the galaxies within it is bending the light from a supernova behind them and creating four separate images of the supernova. The light has been magnified and distorted due to gravitational lensing and as a result the images are arranged around the elliptical galaxy in a formation known as an Einstein cross.

Name: MACS J1149+2223
Type: Early Universe : Star : Evolutionary Stage : SupernovaEarly Universe : Galaxy : Grouping : Cluster
Category: GalaxiesStars
Constellation: Leo
Release date: 5 March 2015, 20:00
Credit: NASA, ESA, S. Rodney (John Hopkins University, USA) and the FrontierSN team; T. Treu (University of California Los Angeles, USA), P. Kelly (University of California Berkeley, USA) and the GLASS team; J. Lotz (STScI) and the Frontier Fields team; M. Postman (STScI) and the CLASH team; and Z. Levay (STScI)

Illustration showing gravitational lensing producing four supernova images: This illustration shows how four different images of the same supernova were created when its light was distorted and magnified by the huge galaxy cluster MACS J1149+2223 in front of it. The light has been magnified and distorted due to gravitational lensing and as a result the images are arranged around the elliptical galaxy in a formation known as an Einstein cross. The massive galaxy cluster focuses the supernova light along at least three separate paths, and then when one of those light paths happens to be precisely aligned with a single elliptical galaxy within the cluster, a secondary lensing effect occurs. The dark matter associated with the elliptical galaxy bends and refocuses the light into four more paths, generating the rare Einstein cross pattern that the team observed.

Name: MACS J1149+2223
Type: Early Universe : Star : Evolutionary Stage : SupernovaEarly Universe : Galaxy : Grouping : Cluster
Category: GalaxiesStars
Release date: 5 March 2015, 20:00
Credit: NASA & ESA

Collage of six cluster collisions with dark matter maps: This collage shows NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope images of six different galaxy clusters. The clusters were observed in a study of how dark matter in clusters of galaxies behaves when the clusters collide. 72 large cluster collisions were studied in total. Using visible-light images from Hubble, the team was able to map the post-collision distribution of stars and also of the dark matter (coloured in blue). The clusters shown here are, from left to right and top to bottom: MACS J0416.1–2403, MACS J0152.5-2852, MACS J0717.5+3745, Abell 370, Abell 2744 and ZwCl 1358+62.

Name: Abell 2744, Abell 370, MACS J0152.5-2852, MACS J0416.1-2403, MACS J0717.5+3745, ZwCl 1358+62
Type: Early Universe : Galaxy : Grouping : ClusterEarly Universe : Cosmology : Phenomenon : Dark Matter
Category: Cosmology
Release date: 26 March 2015, 19:00
Credit: NASA, ESA, D. Harvey (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland), R. Massey (Durham University, UK), the Hubble SM4 ERO Team, ST-ECF, ESO, D. Coe (STScI), J. Merten (Heidelberg/Bologna), HST Frontier Fields, Harald Ebeling(University of Hawaii at Manoa), Jean-Paul Kneib (LAM)and Johan Richard (Caltech, USA)

Galaxy cluster Abell 370 with dark matter map: This is a NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image of the galaxy cluster Abell 370. Shown in blue on the image is a map of the dark matter found within the cluster. This cluster was part of a study of 72 galaxy cluster collisions which determined that dark matter interacts with other dark matter even less than previously thought.

Name: Abell 370
Type: Early Universe : Galaxy : Grouping : ClusterEarly Universe : Cosmology : Phenomenon : Dark Matter
Category: Cosmology
Constellation: Cetus
Release date: 26 March 2015, 19:00
Credit: NASA, ESA, D. Harvey (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland), R. Massey (Durham University, UK), the Hubble SM4 ERO Team and ST-ECF

Galaxy cluster Abell 2744 with dark matter map: This is a NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image of the galaxy cluster Abell 2744. Shown in blue on the image is a map of the dark matter found within the cluster. This cluster was part of a study of 72 galaxy cluster collisions which determined that dark matter interacts with other dark matter even less than previously thought.

Name: Abell 2744
Type: Early Universe : Galaxy : Grouping : ClusterEarly Universe : Cosmology : Phenomenon : Dark Matter
Category: Cosmology
Constellation: Sculptor
Release date: 26 March 2015, 19:00
Credit: NASA, ESA, D. Harvey (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland), R. Massey (Durham University, UK), ESO and D. Coe (STScI), J. Merten (Heidelberg/Bologna)

Galaxy cluster MACS J0152.5-2852 with dark matter map: This is a NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image of the galaxy cluster MACS J0152.5-2852. Shown in blue on the image is a map of the dark matter found within the cluster. This cluster was part of a study of 72 galaxy cluster collisions which determined that dark matter interacts with other dark matter even less than previously thought.

Name: MACS J0152.5-2852
Type: Early Universe : Galaxy : Grouping : ClusterEarly Universe : Cosmology : Phenomenon : Dark Matter
Category: Cosmology
Constellation: Fornax
Release date: 26 March 2015, 19:00
Credit: NASA, ESA, D. Harvey (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland)and R. Massey (Durham University, UK)

Galaxy cluster MACS J0416.1–2403 with dark matter map: This is a NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image of the galaxy cluster MACS J0416.1–2403. Shown in blue on the image is a map of the dark matter found within the cluster. This cluster was part of a study of 72 galaxy cluster collisions which determined that dark matter interacts with other dark matter even less than previously thought.

Name: MACS J0416.1-2403
Type: Early Universe : Galaxy : Grouping : ClusterEarly Universe : Cosmology : Phenomenon : Dark Matter
Category: Cosmology
Constellation: Eridanus
Release date: 26 March 2015, 19:00
Credit: NASA, ESA, D. Harvey (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland), R. Massey (Durham University, UK) and HST Frontier Fields

Galaxy cluster MACS J0717.5+3745 with dark matter map: This is a NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image of the galaxy cluster MACS J0717.5+3745. Shown in blue on the image is a map of the dark matter found within the cluster. This cluster was part of a study of 72 galaxy cluster collisions which determined that dark matter interacts with other dark matter even less than previously thought.

Name: MACS J0717.5+3745
Type: Early Universe : Galaxy : Grouping : ClusterEarly Universe : Cosmology : Phenomenon : Dark Matter
Category: Cosmology
Constellation: Auriga
Release date: 26 March 2015, 19:00
Credit: NASA, ESA, D. Harvey (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland), R. Massey (Durham University, UK), Harald Ebeling (University of Hawaii at Manoa) & Jean-Paul Kneib (LAM)

Galaxy cluster ZwCl 1358+62 with dark matter map: This is a NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image of the galaxy cluster ZwCl 1358+62. Shown in blue on the image is a map of the dark matter found within the cluster. This cluster was part of a study of 72 galaxy cluster collisions which determined that dark matter interacts with other dark matter even less than previously thought.

Name: ZwCl 1358+62
Type: Early Universe : Galaxy : Grouping : ClusterEarly Universe : Cosmology : Phenomenon : Dark Matter
Category: Cosmology
Constellation: Draco
Release date: 26 March 2015, 19:00
Credit: NASA, ESA, D. Harvey (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland), R. Massey (Durham University, UK) and Johan Richard (Caltech, USA)