The Einstein ring is a light source from a distant quassiar that is bent around two galaxies, 3.4 billion light years away. Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA. T. Treu Acknowledgment by J. Schmidt.
The Hubble Space Telescope image of an "Einstein Ring" magnifying light, taken from the deepest depths in the universe is jaw-dropping.
The image shows two galaxies around 3.4 billion light years from Earth that warp and reflect light from a distant galaxy.
Albert Einstein predicted the pattern in 1915. It shows six points of light, two in the middle and four around a ring with distorted light. These bright dots are not from six galaxies, but rather from three in the ring's centre and a distant quasar, whose light is bent so much it appears as if it's four.
Related: 12 of the most bizarre objects in all of existence
Quasars, which are galaxies with black holes at the cores of their galaxy systems, absorb enormous amounts matter and emit so much radiation they are over a trillion times brighter than the brightest stars.
Officials from the European Space Agency (ESA), wrote that "the light from the Quasar has been bent around [the galaxy pair] because of their immense mass, giving the incredible illusion that the galaxy pairs are surrounded by four Qasars, whereas in fact, one quasar lies far beyond."
Einstein's theory general relativity describes how massive objects can warp the fabric and time of the universe. Einstein found that gravity is not caused by an invisible force, but rather is simply the result of space-time curving in the presence and distortion of matter and energy.
This curving space is responsible for determining how matter and energy move. Although light travels along a straight line, light traveling in a highly curvilinear region of space-time like the one around the two massive galaxies also travels in an arc that bends around them and creates a halo.
These so-called Einstein rings have been identified by astronomers in hundreds. They are not only sought after for their beautiful pictures. The rings magnify light that they bend and can be used to reconstruct the light smears back into their original pre-bent forms. This is a great way to enhance details that astronomers can see in distant galaxies. Einstein rings are able to be used as cosmic scales for measuring the masses of black holes and galaxies, since light's ability to bend depends on how strong the gravitational field around it. Scientists can use these rings to see distant light warping in the vicinity of objects that are too dark to be seen by themselves, such as wandering exoplanets or black holes.
Original publication on Live Science
