Composite image of the galaxy cluster which helped reveal the newly discovered galaxy – MACS0647-JD. The inset at left shows a close up of the young dwarf galaxy. (NASA)

Scientists have discovered what could be the oldest, most distant galaxy in the universe, thanks to a unique combination of man-made and natural telescopes.

The newly discovered galaxy, MACS0647-JD, was found by the Cluster Lensing And Supernova Survey with Hubble (CLASH).

It is about 13.3 billion light years, or 125,825,000,000,000,000,000,000 km, from Earth. Scientists are getting to see it just as it was 420 million years after the Big Bang, or when the universe was only three percent of its current age of about 13.7 billion years.

Astronomers made the discovery by combining the power of the Hubble Space Telescope, the Spitzer Space Telescope and a natural zoom effect called gravitational lensing, which uses enormous galaxy clusters as interstellar telescopes to magnify distant galaxies behind them.

The effect is achieved when the light rays from the distant object are bent by the gravity of the huge galaxy clusters, just like a giant cosmic lens, that lie between the object and  Earth.

“While one occasionally expects to find an extremely distant galaxy using the tremendous power of gravitational lensing, this latest discovery has outstripped even my expectations of what would be possible with the CLASH program,” said Rychard Bouwens of Leiden University in the Netherlands, a co-author of the study that outlined the discovery. “The science output in this regard has been incredible.”

The massive galaxy cluster that’s making the distant galaxy appear brighter than it normally would, providing the natural boost to the Hubble and Spitzer telescopes, , is called MACS J0647.7+7015 and is about five billion light years away.

Hubble in orbit above the Earth (Photo: NASA)

Because of the gravitational lensing provided by the cluster, the CLASH team was able to observe three magnified images of MACS0647-JD with the Hubble.

“This cluster does what no man-made telescope can do,” said Marc Postman of the Space Telescope Science Institute, who leads the CLASH team. “Without the magnification, it would require a Herculean effort to observe this galaxy.”

The astronomers say that the distant galaxy is so small, about 600 light years across according to their observations that it may be going through its first stages formation. Our own Milky Way galaxy is about 150,000 light years across.

“This object may be one of many building blocks of a galaxy,” says Dan Coe from the Space Telescope Institute and lead author of the study.  “Over the next 13 billion years, it may have dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of merging events with other galaxies and galaxy fragments.”

The galaxy could turn out to be too far away for astronomers to confirm its distance with any of the current available technology.  But once the new James Webb Space Telescope launches in 2018, astronomers expect to be able to take a definitive measurement of its distance and to study the properties of the galaxy in more detail.

MACS0647-JD, is very young and only a tiny fraction of the size of our Milky Way. The object is observed 420 million years after the big bang.   (Video: NASA, ESA, and G. Bacon (STScI))

(Photo: NASA, M.Masetti)

If you think you have what it takes to build a satellite, NASA has just introduced an online game that might appeal to you.

With “Build It Yourself: Satellite!” the US space agency offers users the chance to act as engineers and astronomers who conceive and build their own special virtual satellite.

“It’s fun to play,” says Maggie Masetti, a NASA webmaster who created the game. “And users will learn something about satellite instrumentation and optics and how they are used to make scientific discoveries, as well about a large range of different existing astronomical missions.”

The game lets players choose what kind of science their satellite will study. They can then customize the sophisticated technical aspects of their satellite – such as what wavelengths their creation will operate at and what kind of tools, instruments and optics will give them the best opportunity to learn as much as possible about their chosen science.

Artist conception of James Webb Space Telescope (Image: NASA)

A number of astronomical missions, some dating back to 1980s, are available to game players.  You can go from rather small x-ray telescopes, like NASA’s Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer, to the much larger and popular  Hubble Space Telescope.

The game is available in two sizes so players can choose the one better suited to their monitor.  If you’re stuck with a slower computer, the game offers a special toggle button that will reduce the quality of the graphics but will make the game run faster.

The new gaming experience was inspired by the James Webb space telescope, which is being built now and is scheduled for launch in 2018.

Said to have the latest cutting-edge technology, the Webb space telescope will help scientists expose the secrets of the universe by taking them far back in time, toward the Big Bang.  Webb will be the most powerful telescope ever built by the space agency.

Who knows, maybe after playing “Build It Yourself: Satellite!” you’ll realize you have the talent and ability to become a real-life rocket scientist!

Time-lapse of the construction of the giant structural steel frame that will be used to assemble the mirrors and instruments of the James Webb Space Telescope.