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Distant Quasar Helps to Analyze Light in Universe (1 of 3)

Caption: Shortly after sunset the MAGIC (Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov) telescope atop Roque de los Muchachos on the Canary Island of La Palma is preparing for the nightly observations. With its 17 m diameter reflector, MAGIC is currently the largest gamma-ray telescope world-wide. It detects gamma rays through short light flashes that are produced when gamma rays cross the atmosphere (Cherenkov light). This image relates to an article that appeared in the June 27, 2008, issue of the journal Science, published by AAAS. The study, by the MAGIC Collaboration, was titled "Very-High-Energy Gamma Rays from a Distant Quasar: How Transparent Is the Universe?"

Credit: Image courtesy of Robert Wagner, Max Planck Institute for Physics

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