Gravitational Lensing or Inferior Mirage?

[6nqpnw]

Can gravitational lensing also be explained by the refraction of light from a more distant object through a gradient of radiant heat and dense cool space?

Same difference? Or completely separate and unrelated?

If unrelated, how can this optical phenomenon be determined as a result of light passing through curved spacetime -vs- heat distortion? (other than Einstein said so)

 

[Drakkith]

I've never heard of "dense cool space". What exactly is that supposed to be?

I don't believe the phenomenon can be explained your way. Gravitational lensing behaves exactly as predicted by Einstein and Relativity.

 

[6nqpnw]

I was looking for an explanation more along the lines of principles and laws, not "beliefs" and "predictions."

However, I do believe I've sorted it out. Astronomical Mirages exist as does Gravitational Lensing. And to determine which of the two is causing the distortion of a distant object, one would only need to analyze the light itself -- specifically, its frequency.

If heat / mirage were 'bending' the light, then it would be split into a spectrum since different frequencies refract by different amounts; whereas gravitational lensing acts on all frequencies evenly.

But I get your point: how can a vacuum be dense? I shouldn't have said 'dense.' Cool air is dense; space isn't air. *bonk* Just wish you would've overlooked that rather than trying to provoke an argument. Thanks anyway; maybe next time we can lock horns.

 

[Drakkith]

Wow, I think you took my post WAAY over the top lol. None of that was argumentative, but simply saying that I think relativity explains it perfectly. That isn't "prediction and beliefs" as you stated, but is in fact principles and laws that have been proven by evidence.

 

[pmacias]

I would say that gravitational lensing and inferior mirage are two distinct optical phenomena that have different underlying causes. Gravitational lensing is a result of the bending of light by the curvature of spacetime, as predicted by Einstein's theory of general relativity. On the other hand, inferior mirages are caused by the refraction of light passing through a gradient of temperature and density in Earth's atmosphere.

While it is possible for both of these phenomena to produce similar visual effects, they are fundamentally different in their mechanisms. Gravitational lensing occurs due to the warping of spacetime by massive objects, such as galaxies, while inferior mirages are caused by the bending of light as it passes through layers of air with different temperatures and densities.

To determine whether an observed optical phenomenon is a result of gravitational lensing or inferior mirage, scientists would use various techniques such as spectroscopy, imaging, and computer simulations to analyze the data and understand the underlying physical processes. These methods can help differentiate between the effects of gravitational lensing and those of atmospheric refraction.

In conclusion, while both gravitational lensing and inferior mirages can produce similar visual effects, they are distinct phenomena with different causes. Scientists use various methods to determine the underlying physical processes and differentiate between these two phenomena.