Euclid Spots a Rare Einstein Ring in a Nearby Galaxy

2025-03-02
Euclid Spots a Rare Einstein Ring in a Nearby Galaxy

The European Space Agency's Euclid telescope has discovered a perfect Einstein ring – a ring-shaped optical phenomenon created by gravitational lensing – in the galaxy NGC 6505, a mere 590 million light-years from Earth. This is incredibly rare, as Einstein rings typically occur in much more distant galaxies. The discovery not only confirms Einstein's General Theory of Relativity but also provides valuable data for studying dark matter and stellar composition in the galaxy's center. Euclid's exceptionally long observation time and high-resolution imaging made this astonishing discovery possible.

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