The brightest white spots and the red arc are six images of the same quasar created by the lensing effect of two galaxies, one of which is seen as the light patch in the centre
F. Dux et al.
A chance alignment between two massive galaxies could help astronomers better measure the expansion of the universe and shed light on the mysterious nature of dark energy.
While working on his theory of general relativity, Albert Einstein predicted that light from distant galaxies and stars should be bent by the gravity of very massive objects, similar to how a glass lens…