James Webb Telescope Spots A Jewelled Ring In The Cosmos
NDTV
The quasar, known as RX J1131-1231, resides an incredible 6 billion light-years from Earth.
The James Webb Space Telescope has captured a breathtaking image of a distant quasar, a super bright object powered by a black hole. This image isn't your typical space picture though. A cosmic phenomenon called gravitational lensing has transformed the quasar's light into a stunning "Einstein ring."
The quasar, known as RX J1131-1231, resides an incredible 6 billion light-years from Earth. In the foreground of the image lies a massive elliptical galaxy. Its powerful gravity bends the light from the distant quasar, creating a bright arc and even duplicate images. This creates a mesmerizing effect resembling a ring adorned with jewels.
These quasars are fueled by immense amounts of gas and dust swirling into a galaxy's supermassive black hole. This feeding frenzy makes the quasar incredibly luminous. According to the European Space Agency (ESA), the gravitational lensing effect allows astronomers to peer into the region around the black hole in these distant objects, offering valuable insights otherwise impossible to obtain.
