Lensed Galaxies with no apparent lens?

by IP0nderz

The mirror-doubling of this arrangement makes me wonder if there is an invisible heavy object between the two pairs, splitting their light around it, resulting in the doubled image. Maybe a dark matter lens?

Posted September 25, 2017 7:07 PM
by ElisabethB moderator

See my comment to the left !

Sorry, but there is no gravitational lens in this image . Two (probably) interacting galaxies and two foreground stars !

Just a chance alignment.

Hope this helps and happy hunting !

Posted September 25, 2017 7:29 PM
by IP0nderz

Oh ok, thanks!

Posted September 25, 2017 7:32 PM

Comments

Surely this is a gravitational lens, rather than four merging galaxies with mirror-image angles of rotation, right? #gravitational #lens

Posted September 25, 2017 7:00 PM

by ElisabethB moderator

Sorry, no gravitational lensing going on in this image. Just two galaxies (probably merging ) and two foreground stars (the smaller dots)

Posted September 25, 2017 7:25 PM

I saw 4 galaxies b/c they are all hazy...aren't foreground stars blindingly bright w/ lens streaks? Can foreground stars be hazy like these?

Posted September 25, 2017 7:40 PM

by ElisabethB moderator

Foreground stars can be very dim or extremely bright and everything in between ! And almost every color imaginable.

Posted September 25, 2017 7:55 PM