Webb Telescope Captures Incredible 'Einstein Ring' In Space; Here's All About The Phenomenon
Webb Telescope Captures Incredible 'Einstein Ring' In Space; Here's All About The Phenomenon
NASA has shared an incredible image of an 'Einstein Ring' captured by the James Webb Space Telescope. The picture features two galaxies separated by vast distances but they appear as one due to this phenomenon. Here's all you need to know about the 'Einstein Ring.'
What is the Einstein Ring?
The Einstein Ring is named after physicist Albert Einstein who predicted through his general theory of relativity that massive objects warp the fabric of space around them, which causes the light to bend. This bending of light is what causes an Einstein Ring to form.
In the image captured by Webb, it seems like there's just one galaxy but it is actually two. At the center is a massive galaxy belonging to a cluster called SMACSJ0028.2-7537, which is closer than the other. The foreground galaxy's immense gravity is causing the light from the galaxy in the background to bend, giving it an appearance of an elliptical circle.
