The James Webb Space Telescope has captured an incredible image of a distant quasar known as RX J1131-1231, located 6 billion light-years away. This image shows a sparkling jeweled ring created through gravitational lensing, where the light from the quasar is warped by the powerful gravitational field of an elliptical galaxy in the foreground. This phenomenon creates a bright arc with three duplicate views of the quasar, resembling gemstones on a ring.
Quasars are incredibly luminous active galactic nuclei powered by gas and dust falling into a supermassive black hole. By studying the X-ray emissions from quasars, astronomers can learn about the black hole’s spin rate and how black holes grow over time. In this particular quasar, measurements indicate that the black hole is spinning at over half the speed of light, suggesting that it has grown primarily through mergers with other galaxies.
The elliptical galaxy acting as a gravitational lens appears as a small blue dot in the center of the ring in the JWST image. This natural telescope magnifies the light from the quasar, allowing astronomers to study regions close to the black hole that would otherwise be too distant to observe. The image was captured using the JWST’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) as part of a larger study on dark matter distribution in the universe.
RX J1131-1231 is considered one of the best lensed quasars discovered to date, providing valuable insights into the growth and behavior of black holes. The study of gravitational lensing and quasars helps scientists understand the dynamics of galaxies, black holes, and the distribution of dark matter in the universe. This latest cosmic discovery adds to our knowledge of the vast and mysterious cosmos, shedding light on the intricate relationships between celestial objects billions of light-years away.
