How can a single galaxy cluster produce more than a thousand images of the same distant galaxy? Yale astrophysicist Priya Natarajan explains one of cosmology’s most powerful tools — gravitational lensing — and what it reveals about the invisible universe.
Priyamvada “Priya” Natarajan is a theoretical astrophysicist and professor of astronomy and physics at Yale University. Her work on mapping dark matter and dark energy through gravitational lensing has made her one of the leading figures in modern cosmology.
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0:00 A thousand images of one galaxy
1:08 What is gravitational lensing?
3:16 How lensing detects dark matter
4:14 Einstein rings explained
5:32 Strong vs. weak lensing
8:09 Cosmic magnification
9:14 Lensing as proof of dark matter
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