A very rare astronomical phenomenon has been in the headlines recently, and for good reason. It will be a hundred years until we can see Jupiter and Saturn close to each other again. However, there are still some “really strange and very rare phenomena” that can currently be seen in our night sky. The only problem is that in order to observe this phenomenon, you will need Hubble’s Necessities.
As always, Hubble offers stunning pictures. This particular one shows a gravitational lensing effect that gives an almost perfect example of the “Einstein ring”. An image of this ring, called GAL-CLUS-022058s, or, in an enlightened bit of astronomical branding, “Molten Ring”, was released last weekend.
That branding idea came in part from the physical appearance of the budget, which actually looks like a molten metal ring. But it has come from the location of the budget. Located in the southern constellation Fornex (Furnace), this image shows a very distant galaxy, which is illuminated by a cluster of nearby galaxies.
Credit: NASA / Hubble / ESA
One advantage of this lensing effect is that it actually allows scientists to better study distant galaxies, which may otherwise disappear completely. While this is not the only known example of this happening, it is one of the most surprising. But there is still much more to discover than the potential to align the planets of our solar system, even if it continues to hubble.
Learn more:
NASA – See Hubble ‘molten ring’
Astronomy.com: Snapshot: Hubble captures a “molten ring”
UT: Nearby found the perfect “Einstein ring”
UT: New “Einstein Ring” Discovered by Dark Energy Cameras
