Strong Lensing Events

Strong gravitational lensing occurs when a massive object, like a galaxy or galaxy cluster, lies between us and a distant light source such as a quasar or galaxy. The gravity of the massive object warps spacetime, bending and magnifying the light from the distant source. This can produce multiple images, arcs, or even rings around the lensing object. These phenomena provide valuable insights into the distribution of dark matter, the expansion of the universe, and the properties of distant galaxies, making strong lensing a powerful tool in astrophysics.