Multiple Views of Supernova Captured Through Gravitational Lensing.

1 min read
Source: Universe Today
TL;DR

Astronomers have observed an unusual Type Ia supernova, SN Zwicky, four times thanks to a gravitational lens, an unusual phenomenon predicted by Einstein's Theory of General Relativity. The team observed it with the Zwicky Transient Facility, the adaptive optics at the W.M. Keck Observatory, and the Very Large Telescope. The Hubble Space Telescope confirmed that the multiple-image lensing effect resulted from a galaxy in the foreground that magnified the supernova 25 times. This discovery presents numerous opportunities for astronomers, including the ability to study SN Zwicky in greater detail and further investigate the mysteries of gravitational lenses.

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