Astronomers have made an extraordinary discovery—a "Carousel Lens," a rare alignment of galaxies that could provide unprecedented insights into the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy.

Each repeated appearance is given a letter. - Giant Einstein Cross: "Of particular interest is the discovery of an Einstein Cross – the largest known to date – shown in galaxy number 4’s ...

Lenses that are less spherical and more elongated, in contrast, can produce a similar phenomenon called an Einstein Cross, in which four distinct images are produced around the lensing galaxy.

Astronomers have identified the closest ever Einstein ring, a rare phenomenon where light from a further-off galaxy is bent by the gravity of a galaxy closer to Earth. The ring was previously ...