Einstein Ring 4C 05.51

This radio source, 4C 05.51, has extremely unusual structure: a smooth low-surface brightness ring accompanied by two nearly diametrically opposed-compact sources, both offset to the southwest; The optical and radio spectral properties appear inconsistent with a Supernova Remnant or an HII Region, astronomical systems that sometimes display ring-like structure. The structure strongly suggests that it is due to gravitational lensing, by a foreground massive object of light from a Quasar or Radio Galaxy. If this is the case, then this object represents an "Einstein Ring", a particularly symmetric case of gravitational lensing first proposed by Einstein in 1936, in which the source is imaged into a ring. Further observations are being carried out to test the lens hypothesis.

VLA in A-configuration using 26 antennas.

Legacy Astronomical Images

NRAO/AUI/NSF does not hold full copyright for this image. Contact the archivist for details.

Legacy Astronomical Image

4C 05.51

J.N. Hewitt, E.L. Turner

Very Large Array (VLA)

1987-09-20

continuum

U

2.0 cm

15 GHz

RA 11:31:56.470, Dec: 4:55:48.800 (J2000)

0.001400 x 0.001400 degrees

Contact the archivist for a high resolution tif of this image.

Miscellaneous Series

Cosmology Unit