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Although black holes were theoretically postulated in the 1920s, they remained outside the domain of observational astronomy until the 1970s.
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In 1905, Albert Einstein published his special theory of relativity. According to this theory, no matter in the universe can attain a speed greater than the speed of light in a vacuum, which thus serves as the speed limit of the universe.
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No object with a finite mass can travel faster than the speed of light in a vacuum. This fact has an interesting consequence in the domain of extremely high gravitational fields.
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Newton's law of gravitation describes the gravitational force between any two point masses. However, for extended spherical objects like the Earth, the Moon, and other planets, the law holds with an assumption that masses of spherical objects are concentrated at their respective centers.
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The origin of Earth's ocean tides has been a subject of continuous investigation for over 2000 years. However, the work of Newton is considered to be the beginning of the proper understanding of the phenomenon. Ocean tides are the result of gravitational tidal forces. These same tidal forces are present in any astronomical body; they are responsible for the internal heat that creates the volcanic activity on Io, one of Jupiter's moons, and the breakup of stars that get too close to...
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Updated: Feb 22, 2026

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Gravitational Lensing in Astronomy.

Joachim Wambsganss1

  • 1Astrophysikalisches Institut Potsdam, An der Sternwarte 16, 14482 Potsdam, Germany.

Living Reviews in Relativity
|September 23, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Gravitational lensing, predicted by General Relativity, uses light bending to study distant objects. This astrophysical tool has yielded significant results in cosmology, dark matter, and galaxy structure, with a promising future.

Area of Science:

  • Astrophysics
  • Cosmology
  • General Relativity

Background:

  • Light deflection by gravity predicted by General Relativity and confirmed in 1919.
  • Theoretical exploration of gravitational lens effects in the decades following confirmation.
  • Discovery of the first doubly imaged quasar in 1979 marked the advent of gravitational lensing as an observational science.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the theoretical and observational advancements in gravitational lensing.
  • To highlight the diverse phenomena discovered, including Einstein rings and arcs.
  • To emphasize the utility of gravitational lensing as an astrophysical tool.

Main Methods:

  • Theoretical exploration of gravitational lensing effects.
  • Observational confirmation and discovery of various lensing phenomena.

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  • Application of lensing to astrophysical studies.

    • Main Results:

    • Hundreds of gravitational lens phenomena are known, including multiply-imaged quasars, giant luminous arcs, and Einstein rings.
    • Gravitational lensing has provided significant insights into the cosmological distance scale.
    • Lensing has contributed to understanding large-scale matter distribution, galaxy clusters, quasar physics, dark matter, and galaxy structure.

    Conclusions:

    • Gravitational lensing has evolved into a powerful astrophysical tool with remarkable successes.
    • The field has established itself despite being relatively young.
    • The future of gravitational lensing research is predicted to be highly luminous and impactful.