The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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The gravity of the galaxy cluster Abell 1689’s million million stars acts as a cosmic lens, bending and magnifying the light of the galaxies located far behind it, a phenomenon called gravitational lensing. Faraway galaxies appear in the Hubble image as arc-shaped objects around the cluster. The increased magnification allows astronomers to study remote galaxies in greater detail. But the galaxy A1689-zD1 is so far away that it does not show up in this optical image, centred on it. The image has been taken with Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys.