Space never ceases to amaze, presenting phenomena that leave us in awe and deep contemplation. Recently, an extraordinary sight captured the world's attention—a formation resembling flower petals seen in the vastness of space. This remarkable image, released by the European Southern Observatory and taken through a powerful telescope, is known as the Einstein Cross. When you gaze upon the picture of the Einstein Cross, it indeed evokes the delicate beauty of a flower petal. This begs the question: what exactly is the Einstein Cross, and how did such a captivating phenomenon occur?
A Four-Petaled Shape
The four petal-like shape seen in the picture is actually a distant galaxy hidden behind an orange-colored galaxy at the center. The light from the hidden galaxy becomes visible due to an intriguing phenomenon called gravitational lensing, creating this captivating shape.
What is Einstein Cross?
The Einstein Cross is a gravitational lensing phenomenon where the light from a distant galaxy is bent around a foreground galaxy. Predicted by Albert Einstein in 1915 through his general theory of relativity, this astronomical event was first discovered in 1985 by a team of astronomers led by Dennis Walsh.
A Quasar, not a Galaxy
Astronomers initially believed that the formation of the Einstein Cross was solely due to a galaxy. However, the reality is more complex. The Einstein Cross, first discovered in 1985, was actually a quasar. This object, named Q2237+0305, is located in the constellation Pegasus and was the most distant quasar known at that time.
Why has it been given this name?
The phenomenon was dubbed the Einstein Cross, a name that reflects the intriguing arrangement of four luminous images encircling a massive galaxy due to gravitational lensing around a distant quasar. This captivating arrangement, resembling a cross, was named in honor of Einstein's theory, which also introduced the concept of gravitational lensing. The cross-shaped formation and its origins tied directly to Einstein's groundbreaking ideas in astrophysics.
What is Gravitational Lensing?
A gravitational lens is essentially any mass, whether it's a vast cluster of galaxies or a tiny point particle, that distorts the path of light coming from a distant source as it makes its way to an observer. This fascinating phenomenon is elucidated by Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity. In simple terms, when light from a quasar passes through the intensely curved spacetime near a massive galaxy, it bends and creates a magnified image of it, a phenomenon known as gravitational lensing.
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