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A Visualization of the pattern for a gravitational lens made up of a star in a galaxy



From the 2021 Maple Conference Art Gallery

Gravitational lenses are a hot topic in astrophysics. Background sources such as quasars can
often be seen in multiple locations, e.g., when the light shines through a foreground galaxy
that acts like an irregular lens. Like an illuminated wine glass on the table, this lens can show
beautiful light patterns at our observation location. Here we show the pattern for a lens
made up of a star in a galaxy.

An example for two and tree star lenses can be found as videos on youtube.
Moving Two Star Caustics
Caustics of Three Stars in a Galaxy
conference

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