The Einstein Cross

The Einstein Cross and the galaxy that causes this 'cosmic mirage', as seen with the FORS instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope. This cross-shaped configuration consists of four images of a single very distant source. The multiple images are a result of gravitational lensing by a foreground galaxy, an effect that was predicted by Albert Einstein as a consequence of his theory of general relativity. The light source in the Einstein Cross is a quasar approximately ten billion light-years away, whereas the foreground lensing galaxy is ten times closer. The light from the quasar is bent in its path and magnified by the gravitational field of the lensing galaxy.

Bildnachweis:

ESO/F. Courbin et al

Über das Bild

ID:eso0847a
Typ:Beobachtung
Veröffentlichungsdatum:12. Dezember 2008
Dazugehörige Veröffentlichungen:eso0847
Größe:1024 x 1024 px

Über das Objekt

Name:Einstein Cross, Gravitational Microlensing
Typ:Unspecified : Galaxy : Activity : AGN : Quasar
Unspecified : Galaxy : Type : Gravitationally Lensed
Constellation:Pegasus
Kategorie:Quasars and Black Holes

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Koordinaten

Position (RA):22 40 30.30
Position (Dec):3° 21' 30.38"
Field of view:1.70 x 1.70 arcminutes
Orientierung:Die Nordrichtung liegt 0.0° links zur Vertikale

Farben & Filter

SpektralbereichTeleskop
OptischVery Large Telescope
FORS1