New Hubble Image Shows Gravity Magnifying a Distant Galaxy - Interesting Engineering

We tend to think that light travels in a straight line, but this is not always the case in our universe, when strong enough, gravity can pull photons of light out of their trajectory. Hubble spotted a phenomenon known as gravitational lensing, which occurs when gravity bends light in super cool and interesting ways.

"The center of this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope is framed by the tell-tale arcs that result from strong gravitational lensing, a striking astronomical phenomenon which can warp, magnify, or even duplicate the appearance of distant galaxies," wrote NASA in its statement about its most recent image.

"Gravitational lensing occurs when light from a distant galaxy is subtly distorted by the gravitational pull of an intervening astronomical object.