Einstein Ring Spotted By Hubble

  • Released Thursday, September 23rd, 2021
  • Updated Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023 at 1:43PM
  • ID: 13924

This image, taken with the Hubble Space Telescope, shows a distant galaxy located in the constellation Fornax. It is the largest and one of the most complete Einstein rings ever discovered.

This object’s unusual shape is the result of gravitational lensing. Albert Einstein, in his general theory of relativity, first theorised that a large gravitational field could act as a lens.

For more information, visit https://nasa.gov/hubble.

Additional Acknowledgements and Credits:
ESA/Hubble & NASA, S. Jha, L. Shatz

Gravitational lensing in action video: NASA, ESA & L. Calçada

Albert Einstein video: Pond 5

Music Credits:
"’Finder" by Jamal Steven Pilgrim [ASCAP] via Open Note [ASCAP], and Universal Production Music.



Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. However, please credit individual items as indicated above.


Missions

This visualization is related to the following missions: