The Legacy of Einstein's Eclipse, Gravitational Lensing

TL;DR

This paper reviews the history and development of gravitational lensing, from Einstein's predictions to its current role in astronomy and cosmology, highlighting its significance over the past century.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive historical overview of gravitational lensing, emphasizing milestones and its evolution as a key research tool in modern astrophysics.

Findings

Historical milestones in gravitational lensing

Current applications in astronomy and cosmology

Significance of Einstein's predictions in modern science

Abstract

A hundred years ago, two British expeditions measured the deflection of starlight by the sun's gravitational field, confirming the prediction made by Einstein's General theory of Relativity. One hundred years later many physicists around the world are involved in studying the consequences and use as a research tool, of the deflection of light by gravitational fields, a discipline that today receives the generic name of Gravitational Lensing. The present review aims to commemorate the centenary of Einstein's Eclipse expeditions by presenting a historical perspective of the development and milestones on gravitational light bending, covering from early XIX century speculations, to its current use as an important research tool in astronomy and cosmology.