Gravitational Lensing
The bending of light by massive objects predicted by general relativity.
Also: Einstein lensing
Definition
Gravitational lensing is the phenomenon predicted by Einstein's general relativity in which the path of light bends when passing through curved spacetime caused by massive objects such as galaxies, galaxy clusters, or black holes. Massive foreground objects act as lenses, magnifying, distorting, or multiplying the images of background objects. It is used to detect dark matter, study distant galaxies, and discover exoplanets.
Example
“The Hubble Space Telescope has photographed Einstein rings—perfect circles of light formed when a massive galaxy precisely aligns between Earth and a distant quasar, bending the quasar's light around the galaxy in all directions equally.”
Synonyms
- light bending
- gravitational focusing
- Einstein lensing
Images
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Related Terms
- General Relativity
- Dark Matter
- Black Hole
- Galaxy