Space scientists from Montreal and India captured a radio signal from a faraway galaxy. They used gravitational lensing to discover the most distant galaxy, so far. This type of tracing may aid astronomers to better understand the configuration of faraway galaxies.
The researchers published the breakthrough study in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society on December 23, 2022. The study was done at McGill University with the direction of Professor Matt Dobbs.
The signal was reflected from galaxy SDSSJ0826+5630 by the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope in Pune, India.
The radio signal used was coming out of atomic hydrogen. And this is the first-time radio signals were detected from such an enormous distance.
Gravitational lensing window to the past
A gravitational lens is defined as the distribution of matter between a distant light source, and an observer. It bends the light from the source traveling toward the observer. The amount of light bending is actually based on Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity.
