The bending of light from distant objects by the gravitational field of massive objects like galaxies or black holes acting as a lens. This effect can magnify, distort, or create multiple images of background objects, allowing astronomers to study otherwise invisible phenomena.
Term coined in mid-20th century combining 'gravitational' (from Latin 'gravitas' meaning weight) and 'lensing' (from lens, Latin 'lentil' for the shape). Einstein predicted this effect in 1915 with general relativity, first observed during the 1919 solar eclipse.
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