Gravitational Lensing Diagram

Extended Description

This ray diagram, which traces the path that light takes, illustrates how light from a distant galaxy or star can be bent by the gravity of an intervening galaxy cluster. 

Light from a galaxy in the top left corner of the diagram is shown moving toward Earth at the bottom right corner. Between the distant galaxy and Earth, in the center of the diagram, is a depiction of a massive galaxy cluster: A series of gold dots representing galaxies of various sizes scattered across the center of the scene. 

Solid white lines that end in arrows show the actual paths of the light from the distant galaxy as it travels to Earth. Dashed white lines with arrows show the paths the light would have taken had it not been bent by the gravity of the intervening cluster. 

The solid white lines start out straight in the beginning, but when they reach the intervening central galaxy cluster, two of the three light paths (the left and right) are bent by the cluster’s gravity and redirected toward Earth. The third solid white line (middle) travels straight from the distant galaxy through the galaxy cluster to Earth. 

The dashed white lines begin at the middle of the cluster, at left and right, and continue on a straight path.

Image Alt Text

This ray diagram, which traces the path that light takes, illustrates how light from a distant galaxy or star can be bent by the gravity of an intervening galaxy cluster.