Astronomers spot farthest galaxies
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Caltech astronomers using the giant Keck Telescope in Hawaii said they have found glimpses of the most distant galaxies ever seen, a finding that will help provide clues to the origins of the universe.
The light the researchers viewed originated when the universe was 500 million years old and has been traveling for billions of years, astronomer Richard Ellis said.
The team used gravitational lensing -- which uses the gravity of nearby objects to magnify the 10-meter telescope’s power 20-fold -- to view the distant objects, Ellis said Wednesday at a meeting of the Royal Astronomical Society.
