Meaning & use
lensing
Last updated
the bending of light as it passes near a massive object, especially the effect a massive body has on light from objects behind it
See it in a sentence
Astronomers used gravitational lensing to detect a distant galaxy hidden behind a cluster.
The telescope image showed lensing distorting the light from stars into faint arcs.
A note on using this word
Almost always used in the phrase 'gravitational lensing,' a concept from Einstein's general relativity where massive objects like galaxies bend and magnify light from objects behind them.
Words with a similar meaning
light-bending
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