First theorized to exist by Einstein in his general theory of relativity, this object’s unusual shape can be explained by a process called gravitational lensing, which causes light shining from far away to be bent and pulled by the gravity of an object between its source and the observer. In this case, the light from the background galaxy has been distorted into the curve we see by the gravity of the galaxy cluster sitting in front of it. The near exact alignment of the background galaxy with the central elliptical galaxy of the cluster, seen in the middle of this image, has warped and magnified the image of the background galaxy into an almost perfect ring. The gravity from other galaxies in the cluster causes additional distortions.
Objects like these are the ideal laboratories in which to study galaxies that are often too faint and distant to otherwise see without gravitational lensing.
Just a recap on Einstein's general theory of relativity...Einstein’s theory is first proven true when astronomical observations taken during a solar eclipse on May 29 1919 confirm his prediction that distant starlight will travel on a curved path as it passes by the Sun.
General theory of relativity demonstrated that the mechanism for transmitting the force of gravity is nothing but the curvature of space and time. While special relativity focuses on how the universe looks to two different observers moving relative to each other at constant velocity, general relativity works equally well in all situations, no matter how observers may be moving. That’s what makes it “general.”
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Wouldn't it be a good idea to create a course?
