James Webb Space Telescope image shows one galaxy hiding behind another
The rare cosmic phenomenon, called an Einstein ring, occurs when massive objects can bend light due to their gravitational influence.
By Dean Murray
A jaw-dropping new space image shows one galaxy hiding behind another.
The rare cosmic phenomenon, called an Einstein ring, occurs when massive objects can bend light due to their gravitational influence.
It was captured by the James Webb Space Telescope and named after Albert Einstein because it is a direct manifestation of his general theory of relativity.
European Space Agency (ESA) explains: "What at first appears to be a single, strangely shaped galaxy is actually two galaxies that are separated by a large distance.
"The closer foreground galaxy sits at the center of the image, while the more distant background galaxy appears to be wrapped around the closer galaxy, forming a ring."
When the lensed object and the lensing object are perfectly aligned, the result is the distinctive Einstein ring shape. This appears as a full circle, as seen here, or a partial circle of light around the lensing object, depending on the precision of the alignment.
"Objects like these are the ideal laboratory in which to research galaxies too faint and distant to otherwise see," adds ESA.
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