Richard Parks The Euclid space telescope has shown a stunning picture of an Einstein ring. This ring shows how gravity bends light. The image shows the nearby galaxy NGC 6505. The galaxy is surrounded by a near-perfect ring of light. The light is from a distant galaxy. It bends around the gravity of the closer galaxy.
“This is a rare and exciting discovery from our first data,” said Prof. Stephen Serjeant. “A ring like this is rare. It gives us a unique view of a distant galaxy.”
Einstein’s Theory in Action
Einstein’s theory said that big objects like galaxies bend light. These objects act like natural lenses. Einstein rings not only show hidden galaxies but also help scientists learn about dark matter. Dark matter is hidden inside galaxies.
Understanding Dark Matter and Energy
Scientists say that about 11% of NGC 6505 is dark matter. That is a small amount. The Euclid project, which cost €1bn, is led by the European Space Agency. It wants to find out more about dark matter and dark energy. These two things make up 95% of the universe.
Euclid’s goal is to make a 3D map of the universe. The map will show galaxies up to 10bn light-years away. This will help scientists learn how dark energy is making the universe expand faster.
New Discoveries in the Cosmos
The galaxy NGC 6505 is 590 million light-years away from Earth. It shows how powerful the Euclid telescope is. This image also found a hidden galaxy 4.42bn light-years away. This galaxy had been unseen for over 100 years.
“It’s amazing that we found this ring in a galaxy first studied in 1884,” said Dr. Valeria Pettorino. “This shows how Euclid can find new things, even in places we thought we knew well.”