Gravitational Lensing: Exploring Light in Space

[shadytriba]

Hi Everyone,

This is my very first post here.. :)

My question is regarding the gravitational lensing.. i understand that any object with mass in space causes the space to bend more like in the image here.. so imaginig a star behind the planet how would the light of it form gravitational lensing because the space around the planet is not bulging out but instead bulging inside...

 

[Drakkith]

Light that would have passed by the planet, and the observer in the shadow of the planet, is pulled inward towards the planet. If the gravitational pull is strong enough the path of the light is changed enough for it to be seen by the observer behind the planet, and it then forms an image. (Usually heavily distorted however)

The lines on your image simply represent the strength of the gravitational pull. As the lines approach the planet they are bent further and further from their straight paths by gravity. As they recede gravity is reduced and the lines go back to their straight paths. The lines DO NOT represent something passing by such as light. Light will not bend inwards and then come back out. Imagine a beam of light traveling parallel to one of the top lines. The further the line is bent inward, the greater the strength of gravity is, so the more the path of the light is bent. The greatest bending will occur when the light is at its closest approach to the planet, where the pull is strongest, which is represented by the lines being bent towards the planet the most.

Does that make sense?

 

[shadytriba]

so what you are trying to say is that the bending of light is opposite to those gravity liness... iam i right?

 

[Drakkith]

so what you are trying to say is that the bending of light is opposite to those gravity liness... iam i right?

No, the light is bent more strongly where the lines are bent more. When the lines recede from the planet and straighten back out the light is bent less while traveling through that area. If we were to exaggerate this, you would draw a light beam initially parallel to the top line, and as it approached the planet it would start to bend inwards towards it, similar to the line. But, as the line starts to straighten back out, the light beam DOES NOT. It is still bending towards the planet, but less and less at it moves away. The net effect is the light enters from the left side at a 90 degree angle from the edge, bends, and leaves the right side at an angle LESS than 90 degrees from the right edge. So it isn't a straight beam of light, it's a curve.

 

[pmacias]

Hello there!

Gravitational lensing is a fascinating phenomenon that occurs when the path of light from a distant object is bent by the gravitational pull of a massive object, such as a planet or galaxy. This bending of light can create distorted or magnified images of the distant object, allowing us to study it in more detail than would otherwise be possible.

In the scenario you described, with a star behind a planet, the light from the star would indeed be bent by the planet's gravitational field. The space around the planet is not bulging out, but rather it is the curvature of space itself that causes the bending of light. This is due to Einstein's theory of general relativity, which states that mass and energy can warp the fabric of space-time.

The amount of bending in the light's path depends on the mass and distance of the object causing the gravitational lensing effect. In the case of a planet, the effect would be relatively small compared to a massive galaxy. However, with advanced telescopes and techniques, scientists are able to detect and study even the subtlest effects of gravitational lensing.

Gravitational lensing has been a valuable tool in studying the universe and has helped us to discover and understand many distant objects, such as exoplanets, galaxies, and even dark matter. It also has practical applications, such as in the study of gravitational waves and in the search for distant supernovae.

I hope this helps to answer your question. Let's continue to explore the wonders of gravitational lensing and the mysteries of space together!