A unique cosmic phenomenon has been recorded near Earth

The Euclid space telescope, launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) to study the dark Universe, has captured one of the rarest phenomena - an Einstein ring formed as a result of gravitational lensing.

What is an Einstein Ring?

According to Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity, massive objects such as galaxies and their clusters bend space-time, causing light from more distant objects to bend around them. If the observer, the lensing object, and the light source are almost perfectly aligned, a spectacular ring of light appears - known as an Einstein ring.

In this case, the telescope captured how galaxy NGC 6505, located 590 million light-years from Earth, acted as a lens for light from a distant galaxy located 4.42 billion light-years away. This allowed scientists to see an object that would otherwise have been hidden from observation.

Why is this discovery important?

Gravitational lenses are a key tool for studying dark matter and dark energy, mysterious components of the Universe that influence its expansion. The more such objects are detected, the more data scientists receive about the structure of space.

As lead researcher Conor O'Riordan noted:

"Strong gravitational lenses are rare phenomena, and each one is valuable to science. This Einstein ring is particularly interesting as it's relatively close to Earth, and its perfect alignment makes it not only scientifically significant but also visually stunning."

Previously, astronomers knew of fewer than 1,000 such lenses, but the Euclid telescope has the potential to discover about 100,000 new objects. This could lead to a revolutionary breakthrough in the study of the Universe.

Project co-author Valeria Pettorino emphasizes:

"The discovery demonstrates the incredible power of the Euclid telescope - it can find new objects even in already explored areas."

Thus, the Euclid project confirms its significance, opening new horizons for humanity's understanding of the Universe's structure.