Abell S1063 Deep Field - Gravity’s Cosmic Lens

At the center of this image lies galaxy cluster Abell S1063, a colossal assembly of galaxies located about 4.5 billion light-years away in the constellation Grus, the Crane. The cluster’s immense gravity acts as a natural lens, bending and magnifying the light from galaxies far beyond it. These appear as the glowing, stretched arcs that swirl through the scene.

This phenomenon, known as gravitational lensing, allows astronomers to see some of the faintest and most distant galaxies ever observed. Light from these ancient galaxies has traveled across nearly the entire history of the Universe to reach us.

Captured by Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam), this deep field image reveals hundreds of new galaxies and structures never seen before. With a total of 120 hours of observing time and the magnifying power of Abell S1063, Webb’s view peers back toward the era known as Cosmic Dawn, when the first galaxies and stars began to form. Some of the galaxies visible here may have existed as early as 200 million years after the Big Bang, offering hints of the Universe’s very first generation of stars.