A team of international astronomers recently discovered a unique instance of two galaxies aligning in a way that creates a compound lens system. This discovery challenges previous assumptions about the nature of gravitational lensing in the universe. By utilizing data from the arXiv preprint server and the James Webb Space Telescope, researchers were able to confirm that the system known as J1721+8842 exhibits a double lens effect. This finding has the potential to impact calculations of the Hubble constant and may help resolve conflicts over its actual value. This groundbreaking study sheds new light on the complexities of galaxy interactions and gravitational effects in the cosmos.
https://phys.org/news/2024-11-astronomers-galaxies-aligned-gravity-compound.html