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Einstein's Cross facts for kids

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This page is about the quasar. For the astrophysics concept, see gravitational lens.
Einstein cross
Einstein's Cross

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

  • EinsteinCrossesDiagram

    Diagram of an Einstein cross formed by gravitational lensing

  • Lensed quasar and its surroundings

    Another lensed quasar, HE0435-1223 in Eridanus, and its surroundings.

  • UZC J224030.2+032131

    Hubble Space Telescope captures Einstein Cross.

  • 12EinsteinCrosses

    12 Einstein crosses discovered by Gaia in 2021

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Cruz de Einstein para niños

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