The Euclid mission, launched on July 1, 2023, to investigate #darkenergy and #darkmatter, has captured something extraordinary: a rare Einstein Ring, a striking example of gravitational lensing.
What is an #EinsteinRing?
It is a cosmic mirage—a phenomenon predicted by Einstein’s theory of general relativity. When light from a distant galaxy travels through space, it can be bent by the gravitational pull of a massive object (such as another galaxy) located between it and the observer. This bending effect distorts the light into a nearly perfect circle. In this case, the ring was detected around the galaxy #NGC6505, while the background galaxy, located 4.42 billion light-years away, remains hidden from direct view.
A Serendipitous #Discovery
The Einstein Ring was unexpectedly identified during Euclid’s early test observations in September 2023. Initially, the images were slightly out of focus. Further observations confirmed the presence of the perfectly shaped gravitational lens—an exciting find for the astronomical community!
OHB Italia S.p.A. role in the mission
Italy plays a fundamental role in the Euclid mission.
Among the mission’s critical instruments, OHB Italia S.p.A. has contributed with its engineering expertise to the development of key components and the performance validation of the Near Infrared Spectrometer Photometer (#NISP). Together with the Visible Instrument (#VIS), NISP allows Euclid to observe distant galaxies with unprecedented clarity.
This discovery is yet another confirmation of Euclid’s exceptional capabilities. OHB Italia’s high-level expertise and technical excellence play a vital role in ensuring the mission’s success.
The findings from Euclid continue to push the boundaries of our understanding of the universe. It is rewriting the way we see the #universe and OHB Italia S.p.A. is proud to be part of this amazing journey!
📸 Credits: ESA/Euclid/Euclid Consortium/NASA
#EuclidMission #ESA #OHBItalia #SpaceInnovation #EinsteinRing #GravitationalLensing #DarkMatter #DarkEnergy #Astrophysics #EngineeringExcellence #MadeInItaly
