Can Gravitational Lensing Cause a Star to Appear Twice Simultaneously?

AI Thread Summary
Gravitational lensing can cause a star to appear twice simultaneously, with the star's light bending around a massive gravitational source. This phenomenon can create visual effects such as Einstein Rings or arcs of light, depending on the alignment of the light source, lensing mass, and observer. Observations have confirmed the existence of such haloes when a nearby galaxy is positioned in front of a more distant one. The light must be nearly aligned with the line of sight for these effects to be visible. This discussion highlights the fascinating implications of gravitational lensing in astrophysics.
Nickelodeon
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Gravitational lensing displaces the apparent direction of a star outwards away from a gravitational source. Do you think it would be possible to see the same star at least twice simultaneously, one either side of this gravitational source?
Even more likely, if the gravitational source was great enough, I would have thought that you would see a halo.

Nick
 
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Nickelodeon said:
Gravitational lensing displaces the apparent direction of a star outwards away from a gravitational source. Do you think it would be possible to see the same star at least twice simultaneously, one either side of this gravitational source?
Even more likely, if the gravitational source was great enough, I would have thought that you would see a halo.

Nick

You would and such haloes have been seen when there's a nearby galaxy in front of a more distant one. The light has to come from almost immediately on the line of sight between the the intervening mass and the observer. A light source a bit to the side just appears as an arc of light.
 
qraal said:
You would and such haloes have been seen when there's a nearby galaxy in front of a more distant one. The light has to come from almost immediately on the line of sight between the the intervening mass and the observer. A light source a bit to the side just appears as an arc of light.

amazing - thanks for that.
 
Nickelodeon said:
Gravitational lensing displaces the apparent direction of a star outwards away from a gravitational source. Do you think it would be possible to see the same star at least twice simultaneously, one either side of this gravitational source?
Even more likely, if the gravitational source was great enough, I would have thought that you would see a halo.

Nick

Yyyyyyep. Called an Einstein Ring. Google away...
 
I've seen a TV programme demonstrating the same star seen at two (near) points in the sky at the same time.
 
HSTgravlens.jpg
 
seb7 said:
I've seen a TV programme demonstrating the same star seen at two (near) points in the sky at the same time.

Do you remember what the TV programme was called and when it was shown?
 

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