Euclid’s Mission Begins

Launched on July 1, 2023, Euclid embarked on a six-year journey to explore the mysteries of the dark universe. Before commencing its full survey, scientists and engineers on Earth meticulously tested its systems to ensure optimal functionality.

Figure 1. Euclid Reveals Perfect Einstein Ring, Proving Space-Time Warping.

During this calibration phase, Euclid transmitted its first images in September 2023. While these initial images were intentionally blurred for calibration, one stood out to Euclid Archive Scientist Bruno Altieri. Amid the hazy data, he noticed something unusual—possibly a rare cosmic phenomenon—prompting further investigation. Figure 1 shows Euclid Reveals Perfect Einstein Ring, Proving Space-Time Warping.

“I review Euclid’s data as it arrives,” Altieri explains. “Even in that first observation, I saw something intriguing. But after Euclid captured more images of the area, we confirmed a perfect Einstein ring. As someone passionate about gravitational lensing, that was an incredible moment.”

A Rare Cosmic Discovery

This Einstein ring, a stunning example of gravitational lensing, had been hidden in plain sight within a nearby galaxy. Known as NGC 6505, this galaxy lies approximately 590 million light-years from Earth—relatively close in cosmic terms. Thanks to Euclid’s advanced high-resolution instruments, this is the first time the luminous ring encircling its center has been detected.

The ring itself is composed of light from a much more distant background galaxy, located 4.42 billion light-years away. As the light from this far-off galaxy traveled toward us, it was warped by the immense gravity of NGC 6505, creating the striking circular effect. Remarkably, this distant galaxy has never been observed before and remains unnamed.

How Einstein Predicted the Ring

“An Einstein ring is an example of strong gravitational lensing,” explains Conor O’Riordan of the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Germany, and lead author of the first scientific paper analyzing the ring. “All strong lenses are special because they’re so rare and incredibly useful scientifically. This one is particularly unique due to its proximity to Earth and the near-perfect alignment that makes it visually stunning.”

Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity predicted that massive objects in space could bend light, acting like a cosmic magnifying lens. The more massive the object—such as galaxies or galaxy clusters—the stronger the gravitational lensing effect, sometimes revealing distant galaxies that would otherwise remain hidden.

When a background galaxy is perfectly aligned with a foreground galaxy, the light from the distant object bends into a striking, symmetrical ring—an Einstein ring. These formations provide a powerful tool for scientists, offering insights into the expansion of the universe, the influence of dark matter and dark energy, and the properties of the distant galaxies whose light is distorted by intervening cosmic structures.

A Surprise in a Well-Known Galaxy

“I find it very intriguing that this ring was discovered within a well-known galaxy first identified in 1884,” says Valeria Pettorino, ESA Euclid Project Scientist. “Astronomers have studied this galaxy for a long time, yet this ring had never been observed before. This highlights Euclid’s incredible power—uncovering new phenomena even in places we thought we understood. It’s an exciting sign of what’s to come for the Euclid mission and a testament to its remarkable capabilities.”

By mapping the Universe’s expansion and structure over cosmic history, Euclid will provide critical insights into gravity, dark matter, and dark energy. The space telescope will survey more than a third of the sky, capturing billions of galaxies up to 10 billion light-years away. Scientists expect Euclid to identify around 100,000 strong gravitational lenses—an extraordinary leap from the fewer than 1,000 currently known. Discovering such a striking example so close to home is a stunning achievement.

“Euclid is set to revolutionize the field, giving us access to data on a scale we’ve never had before,” adds Conor O’Riordan.

A Stunning Start to the Mission

While this Einstein ring is a spectacular find, Euclid’s primary mission is to study the more subtle effects of weak gravitational lensing, where background galaxies appear slightly stretched or displaced. Detecting these faint distortions requires analyzing billions of galaxies across the cosmos.

Euclid officially began its full-scale sky survey on February 14, 2024, and is steadily constructing the most detailed 3D map of the Universe ever created. Discovering such a remarkable phenomenon so early in its mission suggests that Euclid is well on its way to unveiling many more hidden cosmic secrets.

Source: SciTECHDaily

Cite this article:

Priyadharshini S (2025), "Einstein Proven Right: Euclid Captures Space-Time Warping in a Flawless Cosmic Ring", Anathemas, pp. 228