Rare phenomenon

Researchers discover Einstein ring in nearby galaxy

The newly discovered Einstein ring

(Bild: AP/European Space Agency)

An international research team has made an unexpected discovery with the space telescope "Euclid": they found a so-called Einstein ring in a nearby galaxy, an extremely rare phenomenon.

"The galaxy NGC 6505 has been known to astronomers for a very long time. And yet this ring has never been observed before," said ESA Euclid scientist Valeria Pettorino. The Einstein Ring was discovered by chance in a test image that was not actually intended for scientific purposes. When the scientists analyzed the images more closely, they recognized the typical ring-shaped structure.

According to the European Space Agency (ESA), an Einstein ring is an extremely rare astronomical phenomenon. The ring-shaped glow comes from a galaxy that is far away. A galaxy is a cluster of stars, dust and interstellar gas held together by gravity. The light from the newly discovered Einstein Ring comes from a galaxy that is 4.42 billion light years away from Earth. It was not previously known and therefore does not yet have a name.

The galaxy NGC 6505

(Bild: AP/European Space Agency)

Einstein predicted phenomenon
The galaxy NGC 6505, around which the ring can be seen, is located between the nameless galaxy and the Earth. The galaxy's gravity is so strong that it bends the space around it. The light from the background galaxy can therefore no longer fly straight ahead, but is bent around the galaxy. This results in a circular ring of light around the galaxy. This rare phenomenon was predicted by Albert Einstein in his general theory of relativity.

According to ESA, studying the rings will help us to learn about the expansion of the universe and the effects of invisible dark matter and dark energy. Over the next few years, the largest and most accurate 3D map of the universe to date is to be created.