Einstein's Cross facts for kids
This page is about the quasar. For the astrophysics concept, see gravitational lens.
Einstein's Cross is an image of a quasar which is 8,000,000,000 light years (ly) or 2,500,000,000 parsecs (pc) away.
The quasar sits directly behind ZW 2237+030, Huchra's lens, the lensing galaxy. Four images of the same distant quasar appear around this foreground galaxy due to strong gravitational lensing.
According to its redshift, the quasar is about 8 billion light years from Earth, while the lensing galaxy is only 400 million light years away.
Amateur astronomers are able to see some of the cross using telescopes but it requires extremely dark skies and telescope mirrors with diameters of 18 inches or greater.
Images for kids
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Lensed quasar HE0435-1223 and its surroundings.
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Hubble Space Telescope captures Einstein Cross.
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Einstein's Cross Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.