Galaxy cluster Abell 1689 magnifies light of distant galaxies with gravitational lens

In June 2002, the Hubble Space Telescope peered through the centre of galaxy cluster Abell 1689. The gravity of the cluster's trillion stars acts as a gravitational lens which bends and magnifies light from galaxies behind it. (Credits: NASA, N. Benitez (JHU), T. Broadhurst (Racah Institute of Physics/The Hebrew University), H. Ford (JHU), M. Clampin (STScI), G. Hartig (STScI), G. Illingworth (UCO/Lick Observatory), ACS Science Team, ESA)