Astronomy Picture of the Day · January 2, 2013

The Einstein Cross Gravitational Lens

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for January 2, 2013 is “The Einstein Cross Gravitational Lens,” an image. The picture is copyrighted by its creator (Image Credit & Copyright: J. Rhoads ( Arizona State U. ) et al. , WIYN , AURA , NOAO , NSF). The original explanation runs about 154 words.

From the explanation

“Most galaxies have a single nucleus — does this galaxy have four? The strange answer leads astronomers to conclude that the nucleus of the surrounding galaxy is not even visible in this image .”

— APOD editors, January 2, 2013

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date: January 2, 2013
Type: Image
Credit: Credit: Image Credit & Copyright: J. Rhoads ( Arizona State U. ) et al. , WIYN , AURA , NOAO , NSF
Copyright: Copyrighted by the credited creator. Ask the copyright holder before reusing it.
Explanation length: About 154 words

All of January 2013 → · 2013 by month → · Full archive since 1995 →

Topics in this entry

Galaxies

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: January 2 in other years

On Amazon

Popular picks for space fans

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Electronics Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition 32GB Read astronomy and space-history books anywhere. View on Amazon → Electronics Bose QuietComfort Wireless Headphones Noise-cancelling headphones for documentaries and launch livestreams. View on Amazon →

Source

Astronomy Picture of the Day, January 2, 2013 — science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2013-january-2-the-einstein-cross-gravitational-lens

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.