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Astronomy

Gravitational Lensing: A Cosmic Lens for Mapping Dark Matter

Quick fact

In 1919, Arthur Eddington's observation of starlight bending during a solar eclipse confirmed Einstein's general relativity and laid the foundation for using gravitational lensing as a cosmic tool.

Why this is interesting

Did you know that the invisible dark matter in the universe can be 'seen' because it bends light like a giant cosmic lens? This effect, predicted by Einstein, lets astronomers map hidden mass that is otherwise completely invisible.