A portion of the XDF in full UV-vis-IR light, the deepest image ever obtained. Image credit: NASA, ESA, H. Teplitz and M. Rafelski (IPAC/Caltech), A. Koekemoer (STScI), R. Windhorst (Arizona State University), and Z. Levay (STScI).

Mostly Mute Monday: Hubble unveils deepest view of the Universe, ever

Ultra-deep field? Move over; there’s a new deepest-view of all!

“In other words, theory attempts to segregate the minimum number of possible worlds which must include the actual world we inhabit. Then the observer, with new factual information, attempts to reduce the list further. And so it goes, observation and theory advancing together toward the common goal of science, knowledge of the structure and observation of the universe.” -Edwin Hubble

To see farther out into the Universe than ever before, you must gather the greatest amount of light possible.

The Hubble Space Telescope, as imaged during the last and final servicing mission. Image credit: NASA.

The way to do that is:

• go to space,
• with the largest telescope you can,
• and observe a clear patch of sky for as long as you can.

The region selected for the original Hubble Deep Field image. Image credit: NASA.

In 1995, Hubble imaged a dark region of space with few stars and no known galaxies 342 times over a ten day span.