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Hubble Sees Double Einstein Ring
This is an image of gravitational lens system SDSSJ0946+1006 as photographed by Hubble Space Telescope's Advanced Camera for Surveys. The gravitational field of an elliptical galaxy warps the light of two galaxies exactly behind it. The massive foreground galaxy is almost perfectly aligned in the sky with two background galaxies at different distances. The foreground galaxy is 3 billion light-years away, the inner ring and outer ring are comprised of multiple images of two galaxies at a distance of 6 and approximately 11 billion light-years. The odds of seeing such a special alignment are estimated to be 1 in 10,000. The right panel is a zoom onto the lens showing two concentric partial ring-like structures after subtracting the glare of the central, foreground galaxy.
About the Object
- R.A. PositionR.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.09h 46m 56.67s
- Dec. PositionDec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.10° 6' 52.59"
- ConstellationConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.Leo
About the Data
- Data DescriptionData DescriptionProposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.HST Proposal: 10886 A. Bolton (Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii/Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), T. Treu (University of California, Santa Barbara), S. Burles (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), L. Koopmans (Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, The Netherlands), and L. Moustakas (Jet Propulsion Laboratory/Caltech). The science team comprises: R. Gavazzi and T. Treu (University of California, Santa Barbara), L. Koopmans (Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, The Netherlands), A. Bolton (Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii/Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics), L. Moustakas (Jet Propulsion Laboratory/Caltech), S. Burles (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), and P. Marshall (University of California, Santa Barbara). - InstrumentInstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.HST>ACS/WFC
- Exposure DatesExposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.November 3, 2006, Exposure Time: 1.7 hours
- FiltersFiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.F814W (I)
- Object NameObject NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.SDSSJ0946+1006
- Object DescriptionObject DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.Double Einstein ring around a gravitational lens
- Release DateJanuary 10, 2008
- Science ReleaseHubble Finds Double Einstein Ring
- Credits
Color Info
Color InfoA brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented.
The image is a composite of separate exposures made by the ACS instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope. A single filters was used to sample broad infrared wavelength ranges.
Compass and Scale
Compass and ScaleAn astronomical image with a scale that shows how large an object is on the sky, a compass that shows how the object is oriented on the sky, and the filters with which the image was made.
Related Images & Videos
Gravitational Lens System SDSSJ0946+1006 (Double Einstein Ring)
This is an image of gravitational lens system SDSSJ0946+1006 as photographed by Hubble Space Telescope's Advanced Camera for Surveys. The gravitational field of an elliptical galaxy warps the light of two galaxies exactly behind it. The massive foreground galaxy is almost...
Gravitational Lens System SDSSJ0946+1006 (Zoom onto Double Einstein Ring)
This is a zoom onto the Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys image of gravitational lens system SDSSJ0946+1006, showing two concentric partial ring-like structures after subtracting the glare of the central, foreground galaxy.
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Details
Last Updated
Feb 17, 2025
Contact
Media
Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov
