Scientists detected a fifth light in Einstein cross unveiling hidden dark matter in galaxy HerS-3

Scientists detected a fifth light in Einstein cross unveiling hidden dark matter in galaxy HerS-3. (Image: Nicolás Lira Turpaud/ALMA Observatory)

Have you ever pondered what would amaze scientists the most? Scientists were amazed by a unique “Einstein cross” found in the galaxy HerS-3. What was most astonishing was that there were five points of light instead of the conventional four.

The Standard Einstein Cross

The Northern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA) in France first came across an anomaly. Generally, an Einstein cross occurs when some significant foreground object distorts light being emitted from a more distant galaxy, creating four bright images. However, the odd fifth point at the centre challenged scientists and had them question if they were tampering with the instrument.

The researchers compared observations from the instruments with data they had collected from the ALMA telescope in Chile and simulated using a computer programme. These all confirmed the fifth point was real and not an effect of the instrument or anything in the foreground.

What does that fifth light suggest?

The fifth light suggests a significant area of dark matter causing the galaxy’s light to be distorted. Dark matter is invisible but has strong gravitational force that is capable of distorting the trajectories of photons. This provides astronomers with a unique opportunity to study its distribution.

Future Prospects

The discovery appeared in The Astrophysical Journal. It enables scientists to assess dark matter. Dark matter interacts with visible matter, and light distortions provide the clearest evidence of its existence.

Models of galactic formation can be adjusted, and the cosmic web can be better understood. With more observations, we may find hidden structures of the universe, while simulations will reveal dark matter’s role. This unusual Einstein cross offers a new window into the forces we cannot see that are shaping our universe.