Wide field view of Abell 383 (ground-based image)

This ground-based view shows the area of sky around the lensing cluster Abell 383. Lensing clusters are clusters of elliptical galaxies whose gravity is so strong that they distort and magnify the light from faraway galaxies behind them. This can be a useful tool for astronomers when they want to observe galaxies that are very distant and very faint, as the distortion from the lens is compensated by the greatly increased brightness.