Stargazing Lecture

Cosmic Lenses: Bending Light with Gravity

Denise Schmitz, PhD Candidate, Department of Astronomy, Caltech,

One important consequence of Einstein's theory of relativity is that massive objects can bend light, an effect known as "gravitational lensing." Over the years, astronomers have learned to take advantage of this intriguing phenomenon to learn about everything from black holes to dark matter to galaxy clusters. In this lecture, I'll demystify the science behind gravitational lensing and take you on a tour of the amazing breakthroughs it has enabled.

About the Series

Stargazing Lectures are free lectures at a public level followed by guided stargazing with telescopes (weather permitting). All events are held at the Cahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Caltech. No reservations are needed. Lectures are 30 minutes; stargazing lasts 90 minutes. Stay only as long as you want.

Stargazing is only possible with clear skies, but the lecture, slideshow, and Q&A takes place regardless of weather.

For directions, weather updates, and more information, please visit: http://outreach.astro.caltech.edu.

Download the series flyer (PDF)

Event Sponsors:

Caltech Astronomy Outreach - More events from this Sponsor

For more information, please contact Cameron Hummels by email at [email protected].