A COSMIC phenomenon which looks like a sparkly jewelled ring has been spotted in deep space.
Scientists used a powerful telescope to capture the incredible image.
It shows the quasar RX J1131-1231, which is six billion light years away.
The gravitational field of a nearby galaxy warps the light of the quasar, creating what appears to be gemstones on a ring.
Quasars are powered by gas and dust falling into a galaxy’s supermassive black hole, causing it to shine very brightly.
Gravitational lensing, when a galaxy bends the light from a more distant source, allows astronomers to study black holes.
The picture was taken by Nasa’s James Webb Space Telescope.
The European Space Agency said the “bejewelled ring” was “one of the best lensed quasars discovered to date”.
Last month, The Sun reported on how mysterious glowing spots had been discovered above a raging storm on Jupiter, and scientists were trying to figure out just what they were.
Jupiter’s Great Red Spot has been a point of interest since it was observed by the James Webb Space Telescope in 2022.
Scientists set their sights on the Great Red Spot for a reason. It is the largest storm in the solar system – over 10,000 miles wide – and has been raging for centuries.
Even then, they were shocked to uncover a previously unknown structure above the blustering storm.
“We thought this region, perhaps naively, would be really boring,” team leader Henrik Melin said in a press release.
“It is in fact just as interesting as the northern lights, if not more so. Jupiter never ceases to surprise.”
Jupiter is not only the largest planet in the solar system but one of the brightest objects in the night sky.
