NASA said a new Hubble Space Telescope observation is part of a series of gravitational lensing images taken to prepare for science with the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. The agency said astronomers will use these data to study gravitational distortions and set the stage for Roman’s future observations.
The image, captured Oct. 22, 2026, places a sweeping barred galaxy at center. NASA said the gravitational lensing feature at the bottom right is the main target. The agency said this observation is one of many similar images Hubble is collecting for this effort.
According to NASA, astronomers will analyze the gravitational distortions seen in these images to learn more about dark matter in the foreground galaxies. The agency said the work will also lay the groundwork for future Roman observations. NASA said images like this preview how Hubble and Roman will work together to build a more comprehensive picture of the cosmos.
NASA credited the image to NASA, the European Space Agency, and X. Huang of the University of San Francisco, with processing by Gladys Kober of NASA and the Catholic University of America. The agency did not provide additional technical details about the observation or the broader campaign.
NASA did not say when Roman will conduct the related observations. The agency also did not say how many Hubble images are part of this preparation.