Radio Source, 4C , Einstein Ring
This radio source, 4C , has extremely unusual structure: a smooth low-surface brightness ring accompanied by two nearly diametrically opposed-compact sources, both offset to the southwest; The optical and radio spectral properties appear inconsistent with a Supernova Remnant or an HII Region, astronomical systems that sometimes display ring-like structure. The structure strongly suggests that it is due to gravitational lensing, by a foreground massive object of light from a Quasar or Radio Galaxy. If this is the case, then this object represents an "Einstein Ring", a particularly symmetric case of gravitational lensing first proposed by Einstein in 1936, in which the source is imaged into a ring. Further observations are being carried out to test the lens hypothesis.
Size: 3900px × 3610px
Photo credit: © Photo Researchers / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: , 4c, astronomical, astronomy, astrophysical, astrophysics, body, candidate, celestial, chwolson, deep, distribution, effect, einstein, einstein-chwolson, gravitational, gravitationally, heavenly, lens, lensed, lensing, matter, object, radio, ring, science, sky, source, space
