wiki Word: Gravitational Lensing/Microlensing

Definition: technique used to detect objects of mass in space using the gravitational lense effect (when the light from a distant, bright object is "bent" around the object of mass) 

The gravity of a massive object, such as a supercluster or a black hole, can warp space - time, bending everything in the object.  This includes the paths from the light rays from a bright background source.  This changes the time that it takes for someone to see the light, changing how one sees the origional object.  In microlensing, the origional object doesn't actually seem to change shape or size.  Instead, the way you see the light changes over time.  It may look light huge rays of light one week, and then look like a small ball the next.

In 1701, Isaac Newton thought that a light ray could be bent by gravity.  In 1915, Albert Einstein figured out the correct amount of bending needed to change the image.  It turned out to be twice the amount that Newton had guessed. 

The first gravitational lens was discovered in 1979, and was named "Twin Quasar", simply because it looked like two of the same quasars.  A quasar is a bright, distant area of a galaxy.  These are usually located in the very center of galaxies. 

SO WHAT??? SECTION: Why are we studying this term? Why do you need to understand this word to be sucessful in science? How does this term apply to any of our class labs or the real world?

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 Name (First Name and Last Initial)

Class Period

 Jordan L

 3rd Period

 Date

Status                  

 5/15/08

Started 

 5/19/08

 Open for Editing