RocketSTEM Issue #11 - April 2015 | Page 52

Cosmic 16. dust bunnies Like dust bunnies that lurk in corners and under beds, surprisingly complex loops and blobs of cosmic dust lie hidden in the giant elliptical galaxy NGC 1316. This image made from data obtained with Hubble reveals the dust lanes and star clusters of this giant galaxy that give evidence that it was formed from a past merger of two gas-rich galaxies. Credit: NASA, ESA, and The Hubble Heritage Team STScI/AURA) “The Hubble Space Telescope has revolutionized astronomy in many ways. As beautifully illustrated by the Top 100 gallery, it has produced thousands of stunning pictures  giving us a sharper view to the universe than ever before, and allowing for unprecedented insights into the cosmos. “In every area of astronomy HST has made discovery that were completely unanticipated during its planning stages. This is a true sign of a revolutionary observatory. For example, in one of my areas of interest, gravitational lensing, HST has been transformative. With its superb angular resolution it has allowed astronomers to transform what was thought to be a mere curiosity with no chances of ever been observed (including by Einstein’s himself!) into a workhorse for cosmology. “With Hubble and gravitational lensing we have learned about the first galaxies ever to form in the universe, and we have learned about the fundamental nature of dark matter and dark energy, just to name a couple of topics. Recent examples of gravitational lensing work that I have been involved in are the discovery of the multiply imaged supernova ‘Refsdal’ [see inside back cover for story] and of the first double Einstein Ring*. “On a more personal level, HST has transformed my life as well. It was after an undergraduate summer research experience at the Space Telescope Science Institute that I decided to go to graduate school in physics and pursue a career as an astrophysicist.” — Tommaso Treu Professor University of California, Los Angeles * http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2008/04/