Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

Abell 3827: Cannibal Cluster Gravitational Lens

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for August 23, 2021 is “Abell 3827: Cannibal Cluster Gravitational Lens,” an image. It is credited to Image Credit: ESA / Hubble & NASA , R. Massey. The original explanation runs about 176 words.

The picture shows galaxy cluster Abell 3827 from Hubble. Cluster galaxies are seen merging and a complex image of a background galaxy is seen where the cluster acts as a gravitational lens. Please see the explanation for more detailed infor
Credit: Image Credit: ESA / Hubble & NASA , R. Massey Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“Is that one galaxy or three? Toward the right of the featured Hubble image of the massive galaxy cluster Abell 3827 is what appears to be a most unusual galaxy — curved and with three centers.”

— APOD editors, August 23, 2021

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
August 23, 2021
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Image Credit: ESA / Hubble & NASA , R. Massey
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 176 words

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Topics in this entry

GalaxiesHubble Space Telescope

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: August 23 in other years

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Source

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.