A team of scientists has spotted a rare circle of light in space, coming from a far-away galaxy that has never been observed before. The Euclid space telescope captured images of the light, known as an Einstein ring, created by gravitational lensing around a different galaxy closer to Earth – 500 million light-years away.
The ring is made up of light from a background galaxy 4.42 billion light-years away and what can be seen from Earth is distorted by gravity. The distant galaxy itself has not been observed before and has not yet been named.
This discovery allows scientists to test Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity, which predicts light will bend around objects in space. The ring is considered special because it is relatively close to Earth, making it easier for astronomers to observe and study.
The Euclid mission, launched in July 2023, aims to create a 3D map of the universe by observing two billion galaxies. This discovery is one of its first significant results, providing scientists with valuable insights into the cosmos.
Source: https://news.sky.com/story/scientists-spot-rare-einstein-ring-of-light-from-far-away-galaxy-which-has-never-been-observed-before-13306667