Hubble Space Telescope Image Reveals Most Colorful View of Universe

Combining Hubble images taken by the remarkable space telescope from 2003-2012, astronomers have created a spectacular view of the universe referred to as the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF) 2014 image. Now a study called the Ultraviolet Coverage of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field provides an even more spectacular colorful image of the evolving universe like never before.

Still providing unprecedented views of our universe, the 24-year old HST provided researchers with an image that provides the missing link in star formation using its Wide Field Camera 3.

Composite image showing the visible and near infrared light spectrum collected from Hubble’s ACS and WFC3 instruments over a nine-year period.
Image Credit: NASA/ESA

Unlike earlier studies which looked at the HUDF in the visible and near-infrared light, which showed a small section of space in the southern-hemisphere constellation Fornax, in this ultraviolet light study, astronomers have combined the full range of colors available to Hubble, stretching all the way from ultraviolet to near-infrared light.

The result is an image of the universe which contains approximately 10,000 galaxies, extending billions of years back in time to within a few hundred million years of the big bang.

“Ultraviolet surveys like this one using the unique capability of Hubble are incredibly important in planning for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope,” said team member Dr. Rogier Windhorst of Arizona State University in Tempe. “Hubble provides an invaluable ultraviolet light dataset that researchers will need to combine with infrared data from Webb. This is the first really deep ultraviolet image to show the power of that combination.”

For more images and information on the UV HUFD image and how the data aids astronomers in their understanding of the evolution of the galaxies and stars in our universe, visit the NASA website at: http://hubblesite.org/news/2014/27 and http://www.nasa.gov/hubble.