Euclid's jaw-dropping capture of the closest Einstein ring ever seen reveals the hidden forces shaping our universe -- and it's just the beginning.
by Tibi Puiu February 10, 2025
Reading Time: 5 mins read
Edited and reviewed by Zoe Gordon
For over a century, astronomers have searched the skies for a perfect example of a phenomenon predicted by Albert Einstein: a luminous halo formed by the bending of light around a massive object. Now, thanks to the European Space Agency's $1 billion Euclid telescope, scientists have found one of the most pristine examples yet -- a complete Einstein ring in the elliptical galaxy NGC 6505.
This dazzling image, featuring the galaxy NGC 6505, offers astronomers a unique opportunity to probe the mysteries of dark matter, dark energy, and the very fabric of the universe.
A Cosmic Lens in Plain Sight
The Einstein ring, a near-perfect circle of light surrounding NGC 6505, is the result of a cosmic alignment. A distant galaxy, located 4.42 billion light-years away, sits directly behind NGC 6505, which lies 590 million light-years from Earth. The gravity of the foreground galaxy bends the light from the background galaxy, creating a ring-like structure.
"This is a beautiful, extraordinary, thrilling and lucky find in our first data," said Prof. Stephen Serjeant, an astronomer at the Open University. "An Einstein ring as perfect as this is extremely rare."
What makes this discovery even more remarkable is that NGC 6505 has been known to astronomers since 1884. Yet, the Einstein ring remained hidden until now. "This demonstrates how powerful Euclid is, finding new things even in places we thought we knew well," said Dr. Valeria Pettorino, ESA Euclid project scientist.
More:
https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/a-perfect-einstein-ring-is-helping-scientists-unlock-dark-matter/