Astronomers Witness Rare Supernova Phenomenon Through Gravitational Lens.

An international team of researchers led by Ariel Goobar of the Oskar Klein Centre at Stockholm University discovered an unusual type Ia supernova, SN Zwicky (SN 2022qmx), and observed an "Einstein ring", an unusual phenomenon predicted by Einstein's theory of general relativity where the presence of a gravitational lens in the foreground amplifies light from a distant object. The team observed two very rare astronomical events that happened to coincide, and the discovery presents numerous opportunities for astronomers, including the ability to study SN Zwicky in greater detail and further investigate the mysteries of gravitational lenses.