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Strong Gravitational Lensing 3D Explorer vs alternatives
The Strong Gravitational Lensing 3D Explorer illustrates how alignment turns a background source into multiple images or arcs, switching between the real Einstein Cross and Abell 2218 cases in one 3D scene - NASA/ESA Hubble's own imagery wins as the source for the real photographs of both objects; the Einstein Ring 3D Explorer wins for the special symmetric case where the images merge into one full ring.
| Option | Strength | Access | Tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Gravitational Lensing 3D Explorer (this page) | Switches between two real cases and an alignment slider that changes image count and arc stretch in one 3D scene | Free, in the browser | Stylized illustration, not a ray-traced reconstruction of either object's exact mass model |
| NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope imagery | Real photographs of the Einstein Cross and Abell 2218 | Free, official source | No interactive alignment control or side-by-side case comparison |
| Einstein Ring 3D Explorer | The special symmetric case where alignment is exact and the images merge into one full ring | Free, in the browser | Only the single-ring case, not the multi-image or multi-arc cases |
Key published figures
| Figure | Value |
|---|---|
| Einstein Cross lens/source redshift | 0.0394 / 1.695 |
| Einstein Cross image count | 4 point images |
| Abell 2218 group redshift | 0.171 |
| Abell 2218 background galaxies | out to redshift about 2.5 |
Start with the step-by-step guide or when to use it. Open the Strong Gravitational Lensing 3D Explorer.
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