Einstein RULES!!!!! (gravitational lensing)

KMH · Post by **KMH** » Sun May 31, 2015 4:24 pm

OK, these aren't solar shots but I thought they might be of interest. They were taken with a Celestron 11" Edge HD and SBIG STT8300. Seeing was maybe 2/5 with bright moonlight. The first image shows (to the right) two galaxies in Ursa Major but the object of real interest is marked on the left, and that region is blown up in the second shot. This is the twin quasar QSO 0957+561 A/B. In fact it is the first discovered (1979) gravitationally lensed object. The single quasar is 8 billion light years away and is being lensed by a galaxy (not seen in the photo) that is 4 billion light years away, forming two images. The quasar is variable in brightness, and the two images are out of phase by about 400 days. So about a 1 one light year path length difference out of 8 billion. Curved spacetime right before our eyes!

Expanded:

Valery · Post by **Valery** » Sun May 31, 2015 4:56 pm

Very nice image! Thanks for sharing with us, solar nuts.

Valery

eroel · Post by **eroel** » Sun May 31, 2015 5:50 pm

Thank you, will try to image the same region when possible (weather, position, etc.)
Regards,
Eric.

Post by **marktownley** » Sun May 31, 2015 7:48 pm

Cool fish! It was Arthur Eddington who observed gravitational lensing around our sun in the 1919 total solar eclipse.

KMH · Post by **KMH** » Sun May 31, 2015 8:14 pm

marktownley wrote:Cool fish! It was Arthur Eddington who observed gravitational lensing around our sun in the 1919 total solar eclipse.

Thanks - yes - I should have been more precise - the quasar was the first known example of multiple images caused by lensing. Eddington's work was a pretty good accomplishment in 1919!

BTW maybe Stephen will organize a huge solar party for the USA total eclipse in 2017 ???!!!

Kevin

yltansg · Post by **yltansg** » Sun May 31, 2015 11:01 pm

Kevin,

Thanks for sharing. It is amazing the discovery and progress man has made over the years

Alfred

swisswalter · Post by **swisswalter** » Mon Jun 01, 2015 4:05 am

Hi Kevin

thank you for sharing

Post by **Montana** » Mon Jun 01, 2015 9:42 am

Very interesting, fantastic shot

Alexandra

pedro · Post by **pedro** » Mon Jun 01, 2015 4:28 pm

I also imaged this quasar back in 2009

NGC3079 (Quasar 957+561), Luminance image, 120min (12x10min). TMB152mm F/8, ST-10XE, self-guided, SDMask, DDP, Paramount ME.

More difficult are the gravitational arches (Abell 370).

Hi-sis22 C14 19971029 (60min total integration time)

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090921.html
http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archiv ... /image/ao/

KMH · Post by **KMH** » Mon Jun 01, 2015 6:59 pm

Pedro,

Wow - that's really cool! That may be slightly beyond the C11 but I'll give it a try on some very dark, still night. Have you imaged Einstein's Cross?

Kevin

Einstein RULES!!!!! (gravitational lensing)

Einstein RULES!!!!! (gravitational lensing)

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Re: Einstein RULES!!!!! (gravitational lensing)

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Re: Einstein RULES!!!!! (gravitational lensing)

Re: Einstein RULES!!!!! (gravitational lensing)