Rare Einstein Ring Found By ESA's Dark Universe Detective — Know What It Is, And Why It Is Called So
ESA's Euclid telescope has captured a rare Einstein Ring, a phenomenon caused by gravitational lensing. It was found within galaxy NGC 6505, situated approximately 590 million light-years from Earth.
In a remarkable discovery, the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Euclid space telescope has captured a rare phenomenon known as an Einstein Ring, located within a relatively nearby galaxy. The find, made during the early testing phase of Euclid’s mission in September 2023, highlights the telescope’s immense potential in exploring the mysteries of the universe, the ESA said.
Euclid, launched on July 1, 2023, embarked on a six-year mission to investigate the dark universe. Before officially beginning its survey, scientists needed to ensure the spacecraft’s instruments were functioning correctly. It was during this calibration period that Euclid Archive Scientist Bruno Altieri noticed something unusual in an out-of-focus image.
“I look at the data from Euclid as it comes in,” Altieri was quoted as saying on the ESA website. “Even from that first observation, I could see it, but after Euclid made more observations of the area, we could see a perfect Einstein ring.”
ALSO READ ON ABP LIVE | This Giant Asteroid Heading Towards Earth Is Top On NASA-ESA Risk List — All About 2024 YR4
What Is Einstein Ring, And Why Is It Called So?
Einstein’s Ring is a rare astronomical phenomenon that occurs due to gravitational lensing, a concept predicted by Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity. When light from a distant galaxy or quasar passes through the gravitational field of a massive foreground galaxy, it bends and forms a nearly perfect ring around it.
This effect happens only when the alignment between the background source, the foreground lens, and the observer is nearly perfect. These rings serve as crucial tools in astrophysics, helping scientists study the properties of dark matter, dark energy, and the large-scale structure of the universe.
The Einstein Ring captured by Euclid was found within the galaxy NGC 6505, situated approximately 590 million light-years from Earth. The ring is created by the light from a far more distant galaxy situated 4.42 billion light-years away. As this background galaxy’s light travels toward Earth, it is bent by the immense gravitational field of NGC 6505, creating a striking ring-shaped structure. The background galaxy had never been observed before and remains unnamed.
“An Einstein ring is an example of strong gravitational lensing. All strong lenses are special, because they're so rare, and they're incredibly useful scientifically. This one is particularly special, because it’s so close to Earth and the alignment makes it very beautiful,” explained Conor O’Riordan, of the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics in Germany, who is also the lead author of the first scientific paper analysing the discovery.
ESA Euclid Project Scientist Valeria Pettorino said: “I find it very intriguing that this ring was observed within a well-known galaxy, which was first discovered in 1884. The galaxy has been known to astronomers for a very long time. And yet this ring was never observed before."
ALSO READ ON ABP LIVE | Humans Are Losing This Unique Skill They Acquired 5,500 Years Ago, Scientists Warn
Euclid On A Mission To Create 3D Map Of Universe, The Most Comprehensive Ever
Euclid, a space telescope launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) on July 1, 2023, is dedicated to exploring the mysteries of the dark universe.
Designed to investigate dark matter and dark energy, Euclid is equipped with high-resolution instruments capable of mapping the distribution of galaxies across more than a third of the sky, according to the ESA. Throughout its six-year journey, Euclid seeks to create a comprehensive 3D map of the Universe, capturing images of galaxies as distant as 10 billion light-years. By analysing gravitational lensing effects, Euclid aims to provide critical insights into cosmic expansion and the unseen forces shaping our universe.
Euclid is expected to uncover around 100,000 strong gravitational lenses over the course of its mission, a significant leap from the fewer than 1,000 previously known. The telescope began its detailed survey on February 14, 2024, aiming to create the most comprehensive 3D map of the universe ever constructed. Although its primary objective is to study weaker gravitational lensing effects, which cause subtle distortions in the light from distant galaxies, the early discovery of the Einstein Ring holds promise.
As Pettorino put it: "This demonstrates how powerful Euclid is, finding new things even in places we thought we knew well. This discovery is very encouraging for the future of the Euclid mission and demonstrates its fantastic capabilities."
Conor added: “Euclid is going to revolutionise the field, with all this data we've never had before.”
Top Headlines
