Gravitational lensing as a research area investigates the deflection, magnification, and distortion of light from distant sources by intervening mass distributions, as predicted by general relativity, and develops methods to use these effects as astrophysical and cosmological probes. It encompasses strong, weak, and microlensing regimes, focusing on reconstructing mass profiles of galaxies and clusters, mapping dark matter, constraining dark energy via lensing statistics and cosmic shear, and testing gravity on large scales. The field integrates theoretical modeling, numerical simulations, and analysis of large imaging and spectroscopic surveys, emphasizing inverse problems, bias control, and statistical inference to extract cosmological parameters and substructure properties.
One of the first verified predictions of general relativity is the gravitational deflection of starlight. The effect was first observed in 1919 during a total solar eclipse. Since stars appear as points of light, the effect ...
Astronomy
Apr 1, 2025
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Gravitational lensing often evokes images of a cosmic funhouse mirror: duplicated galaxies, dramatic arcs and distorted shapes. But the web-like, large-scale structure throughout the universe also bends light in a weaker, ...
Astronomy
Mar 13, 2025
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In 2007, astronomers discovered the Cosmic Horseshoe, a gravitationally lensed system of galaxies about 5.5 billion light-years away. The foreground galaxy's mass magnifies and distorts the image of a distant background galaxy ...
Astronomy
Feb 25, 2025
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A study published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics (JCAP) presents a methodology to test the assumption of cosmic homogeneity and isotropy, known as the Cosmological Principle, by leveraging weak gravitational ...
Astronomy
Feb 11, 2025
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Euclid blasted off on its six-year mission to explore the dark universe on 1 July 2023. Before the spacecraft could begin its survey, the team of scientists and engineers on Earth had to make sure everything was working properly.
Astronomy
Feb 10, 2025
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Chinese astronomers have investigated quasar candidates from the DESI Legacy Surveys (DESI-LS) photometry catalog. As a result, they detected 19 strongly-lensed, dual and projected quasars. The finding was reported in a paper ...
A group of astronomers have made history by capturing an image of a record number of stars from a time when the universe was half its age.
Astronomy
Jan 9, 2025
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How do you weigh one of the largest objects in the entire universe? Very carefully, according to new research.
Astronomy
Nov 21, 2024
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An international team of astronomers has discovered an instance of two galaxies aligned in a way where their gravity acts as a compound lens. The group has written a paper describing the findings and posted it on the arXiv ...
Sending an object to another star is still the stuff of science fiction. But some concrete missions could get us at least part way there. These "interstellar precursor missions" include a trip to the solar gravitational lens ...
Space Exploration
Oct 25, 2024
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