A consequence of the ability of gravity to bend the path of light rays. Astronomers have observed that the light from a distant galaxy or star can be "lensed" by the gravitational fields of intervening objects to form multiple, typically distorted images of the background object.
A massive object in space (like a galaxy) that warps space and bends light that passes by it, due to the gravitational forces of the massive object.
a natural phenomenon in space that enables ground-based observers to detect galaxies billions of light years away
an extraordinary astronomical object which is really made up of two separate objects
an extraordinary internet phenomenon which is really made up of two separate objects
The effect when light from a distant object, such as a galaxy, is bent by the gravity of a massive object, such as another galaxy, before it reaches the Earth. If the two objects are perfectly aligned, the light from the distant object appears as a ring from Earth. This then is called an Einstein Ring, since its existence was predicted by Einstein in his theory of General Relativity.
Gravitational lensing describes how a massive object (such as a star or galaxy) changes the path of light from a distant object.
A configuration of celestial objects, one of which provides one or more images of the other by gravitationally deflecting its light.
a phenomenon that consists in the production of multiple images of a far source, such as a galaxy or a quasar; it is caused by the curving of the rays of light coming from the source, by a massive object such as a large galaxy or a cluster of galaxies, interposed between source and observer.
The bending effect of a large mass on light rays so that they form an image of the source of light.
the focussing of light from a distant object by the warped space-time around a massive body (such as a galaxy) between you and the distant object as predicted by General Relativity.
A massive object that magnifies or distorts the light of objects lying behind it. For example, the powerful gravitational field of a massive cluster of galaxies can bend the light rays from more distant galaxies, just as a camera lens bends light to form a picture.
A gravitational lens is formed when the light from a very distant, bright source (such as a quasar) is "bent" around a massive object (such as a massive galaxy) between the source object and the observer. The process is known as gravitational lensing, and is one of the predictions of Albert Einstein's general relativity theory. It is sometimes known as the Einstein effect, although that is not the only meaning attributed to that term.