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APOD: 2025 February 26 Á Einstein Ring Surrounds Nearby Galaxy Center
Explanation:
Do you see the ring?
If you look very closely at the center of the featured galaxy
NGC 6505,
a ring becomes evident.
It is the gravity of
NGC 6505, the nearby
(z = 0.042)
elliptical galaxy that you can easily see,
that is magnifying and distorting the image of a
distant galaxy into a complete circle.
To create a complete
Einstein ring there must be
perfect alignment of the nearby galaxy's center
and part of the background galaxy.
Analysis of this ring and the multiple images of the background galaxy help
to determine the mass and fraction of
dark matter in NGC 6505's center,
as well as uncover previously
unseen details in the distorted galaxy.
The featured image was captured by
ESA's Earth-orbiting
Euclid telescope in 2023 and released earlier this month.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Einstein
Publications with words: Einstein
See also: