The Einstein ring, formed as light from a distant galaxy bends to glow around another object in the foreground, could help solve the universe’s mysteries.

Euclid space telescope sent some images back to Earth during an early testing phase. While reviewing the pictures, astronomer and Euclid archive scientist Bruno Altieri found something incredibly rare: an Einstein ring circling a galaxy.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Europe’s Euclid space telescope has detected a rare halo of bright light around a nearby galaxy, astronomers reported Monday. The halo, known as an Einstein ring, encircles a galaxy 590 million light-years away, considered close by cosmic standards. A light-year is 5.8 trillion miles.

A rare ring of light surrounding a galaxy nearly 590 million light-years away from Earth has been discovered by a space telescope that scientists hope will uncover more cosmic phenomena throughout the universe, the European Space Agency announced on Monday.

The European Space Agency's Euclid space telescope was going through preliminary tests in September 2023 when it captured images of an Einstein Ring in a nearby galaxy.

A European Space Agency telescope has discovered its first "extremely rare" Einstein ring in a galaxy "not too far away" nearly 600 million light years from Earth.

The "dark universe detective" space telescope Euclid has discovered its first Einstein ring in the process, learning about dark matter at the heart of a distant galaxy.