Journey to the heart of darkness

Galileo Galilei may have died more than 350 years ago, but his work perfecting what has become the modern telescope is helping scientists look at images a mind-boggling 13 billion light years away.

The man largely credited with being the father of modern astronomy would not have been able to comprehend many of the techniques used or images recorded by 21st-century scientists, say the people behind a new exhibition of inter-galactic photos.

And while dark energy and dark matter may still sound like science fiction to some, that is what is captured on some of the spectacular photos about to go on display in Sydney's Powerhouse Museum.

Taken from a collection owned by the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics, with additional photos from British astronomy photographer David Malin, the images explore the known outer reaches of our universe.

"Modern observations have led to exciting new concepts such as black holes, dark matter and mysterious dark energy," said Dr Nick Lomb, the exhibition's curator and Sydney Observatory astronomer.

"The eye-catching images displayed in the exhibition allow us to appreciate both the beauty and the fascination of what astronomers are revealing about the universe."

A 19th-century model of the solar system, a telescope ordered by Sydney Observatory for the 1882 transit of Venus and one of only two exact replicas of a telescope designed by Galileo will also be on display. The exhibition starts on September 12.

- AAP