Einstein ring An Einstein ring is created when light from a | Universe And Science

Einstein ring

An Einstein ring is created when light from a galaxy or star passes by a massive object en route to the Earth. Due to gravitational lensing, the light is diverted, making it seem to come from different places. If the source, lens, and observer are all in perfect alignment, the light appears as a ring. Image above shows the gravity of a luminous red galaxy (LRG) has gravitationally distorted the light from a much more distant blue galaxy. Here the lens alignment is so precise that the background galaxy is distorted into a horseshoe -- a nearly complete ring.

Image Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA