gravitational lensing
Light-bending mass effect
Gravitational lensing is the bending of light by massive objects in space.
When light from a distant star or galaxy passes near something heavy—a galaxy cluster, a black hole—gravity warps its path, distorting or magnifying the image we see.
Einstein predicted the effect; astronomers now use it to detect dark matter and study objects too faint to observe directly.
Lightless cosmic mass
- galaxy clusterGravitationally linked galaxy group
- black holeCollapsed star's remnant
- neutron starUltradense stellar remnant
- supermassiveExtremely large in scale
Degree of visual enlargement
- deflectionChange in trajectory
- refractionWave bending between media
- shearLateral sliding force
- convergenceProcess of approaching sameness
flexion · distortion · amplification · stretching · elongation · light bending · image distortion · point spread
Geometric warping from gravity
- general relativityGravity as curved spacetime
- geodesicsShortest paths on surfaces
- Schwarzschild radiusBlack hole's critical boundary distance
- relativityHow observers differ
Orbiting astronomical observatory
- quasarLuminous active galactic core
- redshiftWavelength stretch from recession
- luminosityIntrinsic brightness of source
- astrometryMeasuring celestial body positions
telescope · James Webb · Chandra · survey · deep field · spectroscopy · photometry
Force accelerating universal expansion
dark matter
Lightless cosmic mass
- galaxy clusterGravitationally linked galaxy group
- black holeCollapsed star's remnant
- neutron starUltradense stellar remnant
magnification
Degree of visual enlargement
- deflectionChange in trajectory
- refractionWave bending between media
- shearLateral sliding force
convergence · flexion · distortion · amplification · stretching · elongation · light bending · image distortion · point spread
space-time curvature
Geometric warping from gravity
- general relativityGravity as curved spacetime
- geodesicsShortest paths on surfaces
- Schwarzschild radiusBlack hole's critical boundary distance
relativity · Einstein · curved · bending · warped · curvature
Hubble Space Telescope
Orbiting astronomical observatory
- quasarLuminous active galactic core
- redshiftWavelength stretch from recession
- luminosityIntrinsic brightness of source
astrometry · telescope · James Webb · Chandra · survey · deep field · spectroscopy · photometry
caustic
Chemically burning; bitterly mocking
- time delayPlanned interval before action
dark energy
Force accelerating universal expansion
gravity, lenses, gravitate, gravitation, gravitating, gravitated, gravitational, anti-gravity, microgravity