"ESA's Proximity Dilemma: Closer Than Ever or Out of Reach?"
Originally Published 2 years ago — by European Space Agency
Astronomers have captured an image showcasing a rare cosmic phenomenon known as an Einstein ring, where light from a distant galaxy (19.5 billion light-years away) is bent around a closer galaxy (2.7 billion light-years away), creating a curved crescent of light. This visual effect is due to the precise alignment of the distant galaxy, the closer galaxy, and Earth. The Einstein ring was identified with the help of a citizen science project called SPACE WARPS, highlighting the contribution of the public to astronomical discoveries. The image features a central bright dot, the closer galaxy SDSS J020941.27+001558.4, and another bright dot, SDSS J020941.23+001600.7, with the lensed light forming the partial Einstein ring from the distant galaxy HerS J020941.1+001557.