Strong Gravitational Lensing 1

Distant galaxies are elliptical or spiral in shape. When their light travels towards us, it may first pass near intervening dark matter. The strong gravitational field of dark matter acts like a lens and 'bends' the light. So we see the galaxies as arcs or even rings of light. Although photons of light are massless, they are rich in momentum and they move along the spacetime distortion manifest by the gravitational field. Gravitational lensing has also proven to be a very cool way of investigating the nature of dark matter. Selected by US-based SciArt organization to be part of a space-themed website page. Pieces were chosen for their aesthetic quality and conceptual depth. http://www.sciartinitiative.org/from-inner-to-outer-space.html acrylic on canvas 9" x 7" © Diana Hamer 2020