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The narrow galaxy elegantly curving around its spherical companion in this image is a fantastic example of a truly strange and very rare phenomenon. This image, taken with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, depicts GAL-CLUS-022058s, located in the southern hemisphere constellation of Fornax (the Furnace). GAL-CLUS-022058s is the largest and one of the most complete Einstein rings ever discovered in our universe.

https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/goddard/2020/hubble-sees-a-molten-ring

1 hour ago, Curious layman said:

https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/goddard/2020/hubble-sees-a-molten-ring

Do we receive  more optical data from the distorted galaxy than we would otherwise get....or is the image just distorted?

Are we getting  photons that would normally not  reach us bent in our direction so that we can see them so that we get a higher definition image as a result?

20 hours ago, geordief said:

Do we receive  more optical data from the distorted galaxy than we would otherwise get....or is the image just distorted?

Are we getting  photons that would normally not  reach us bent in our direction so that we can see them so that we get a higher definition image as a result?

Yes to both.

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When light passes through this gravitational field, it bends. This creates a magnifying effect called gravitational lensing, which allows us to see objects that wouldn't normally be visible, or visible in such strong detail.

https://www.sciencealert.com/icarus-blue-giant-most-distant-star-ever-seen-hubble-9-billion-light-years#:~:text=When light passes through this gravitational field%2C it,dependent on exactly the right alignment of objects.

What do astronomers think they’ll capture with the James Webb telescope?

7 hours ago, cannongray said:

What do astronomers think they’ll capture with the James Webb telescope?

Imaginations

https://www.jwst.nasa.gov/content/about/faqs/faq.html#webbbetter

https://www.jwst.nasa.gov/content/about/comparisonWebbVsHubble.html