# @europeanspaceagency on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/C-OTZwONNsW
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/35585052-europeanspaceagency-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/cfba05ea6d.jpg
- **Posted:** 2024-08-03T21:50:00.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** J.L.Lopez (@xandler80) — https://gondola.cc/xandler80

## Caption

A cosmic kaleidoscope! 💍

This spectacular image from @esawebb shows the quasar RX J1131-1231, located a staggering six billion light-years away in the constellation Crater, warped into a stunning arc by gravitational lensing – Einstein’s theory of relativity in action.

Gravitational lensing, turns galaxies into natural telescopes, magnifying the light from distant quasars and revealing the mysteries of the Universe. In this stunning image, the foreground galaxy warps the background quasar into a brilliant arc, creating four distinct images of the object.

Why is this important? Gravitational lensing allows astronomers to study regions close to black holes in distant quasars, offering insights into how these cosmic giants grow. By measuring X-ray emissions, researchers can determine the spin rate of the central black hole, shedding light on whether it grew through galaxy mergers or by pulling in material from various directions. The quasar RX J1131-1231’s black hole spins at over half the speed of light, suggesting a history of cosmic collisions! 

Captured with Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument, this image is part of an observation programme to study dark matter – the invisible force that makes up most of the Universe’s mass. Webb’s unprecedented observations of quasars help astronomers explore dark matter like never before.

Swipe to journey into the depths of space and marvel at the wonders of our Universe!

📸 @NASA, @europeanspaceagency, @canadianspaceagency, A. Nierenberg; @creativecommons CC BY 4.0

## Stats

- **Views:** 21,044
- **Likes:** 21,630
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 93

## Credits

These are the roles credited on Gondola. Credits may be incomplete.
A brand, account owner, or featured person is not necessarily the creator.

| Name | Username | Profile | Role |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ESA - European Space Agency | @europeanspaceagency | https://gondola.cc/europeanspaceagency | Government Organization |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Producer |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Editor |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Social Media Manager |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Publisher |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Copywriter |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Community Manager |

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