A rare “Einstein ring” has been spotted by the Euclid space telescope, revealing a stunning image of light magnified from an ancient galaxy. The discovery was made possible by gravitational lensing, a phenomenon predicted by Albert Einstein in 1915.
The Euclid telescope captured the image of NGC 6505, a nearby galaxy that warps and magnifies light from an even more distant galaxy 4.42 billion light-years away. This is known as strong gravitational lensing, a rare occurrence that allows scientists to study light from a previously undiscovered galaxy.
The discovery is significant because it provides a unique opportunity for scientists to study the properties of dark matter and dark energy, two mysterious components that make up about 95% of the universe. Researchers can use Einstein rings like this one to measure the masses of galaxies and black holes, including how much dark matter they contain.
“This ring is particularly special because it’s so close to Earth and the alignment makes it very beautiful,” said study lead author Conor O’Riordan. “It demonstrates the fantastic capabilities of the Euclid mission and its ability to find new things even in places we thought we knew well.”
The Euclid telescope is partway through its six-year mission to catalog a third of the entire night sky, capturing thousands of wide-angle images from over a billion galaxies that are up to 10 billion years old. Once completed, scientists will use these images to create two maps: one of gravitational lensing and another of shock waves called baryon acoustic oscillations.
This discovery is just one example of the powerful tools available to astronomers studying the universe. With missions like Euclid, scientists can gain a deeper understanding of the cosmos and its many mysteries.
Source: https://www.livescience.com/space/cosmology/euclid-telescope-spots-rare-einstein-ring-hiding-near-earth-and-an-ancient-unnamed-galaxy-behind-it