The James Webb Space Telescope has captured a stunning image of a distant quasar, a luminous object powered by a black hole. This image showcases a cosmic phenomenon known as gravitational lensing, where the light from the quasar is bent by a massive elliptical galaxy in the foreground, creating a mesmerizing “Einstein ring.”
The quasar, located 6 billion light-years away, appears as a bright arc with duplicate images, resembling a ring adorned with jewels. This lensing effect allows astronomers to study the region around the black hole, providing insights otherwise impossible to obtain.
Measurements of the quasar’s X-ray emissions offer clues about the black hole’s rotation speed, which is important for understanding how black holes grow over time. The elliptical galaxy, acting as a natural telescope, amplifies the light from the distant quasar, making it easier to study.
Observations indicate that the black hole in this particular quasar is spinning at over half the speed of light. This suggests that the black hole grew through mergers of galaxies rather than by pulling material in from various directions.
The image was captured using the JWST’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) as part of a study on dark matter. Combined with previous observations, RX J1131-1231 is now considered one of the most remarkable lensed quasars ever discovered.
