Rare Double Gravitational Lens Offers New Insights into Cosmic Expansion
Astronomers have discovered the first-ever Einstein zig-zag lens, a double gravitational lens system that bends light from a distant quasar in a unique zig-zag pattern. This groundbreaking find offers new insights into the universe's expansion rate, known as the Hubble tension, and the distribution of dark matter. The discovery, involving light from a quasar 10.5 billion light-years away passing through two galaxies, provides a rare opportunity to refine cosmological models and explore the early universe.