gravitational lens

noun

, Astronomy.

1. a heavy, dense body, as a galaxy, that lies along our line of sight to a more distant object, as a quasar, and whose gravitational field refracts the light of that object, splitting it into multiple images as seen from the earth.

gravitational lens

noun

1. astronomy a lenslike effect in which light rays are bent when passing through the gravitational field of such massive objects as galaxies or black holes

gravitational lens

1. A massive celestial object, such as a galaxy, whose gravity can act as a lens that functions to bend and focus the light of a more distant object. This results in a magnified, distorted, or multiple image of the original light source for a distant observer.

Word History and Origins

Origin of gravitational lens¹

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

Some of the light from that explosion later encountered a gravitational lens, a cluster of galaxies whose gravity bent the light so that we see multiple images.

From Science News