weak lensing

Weak lensing is a cosmological phenomenon where the gravity of massive objects, like galaxies, bends light from more distant objects. This bending distorts the apparent shapes of these background objects, acting like a lens. While strong lensing creates multiple images or rings, weak lensing causes only slight stretching. Astronomers study the statistical properties of these subtle shape distortions to map the distribution of dark matter across the universe. This technique is crucial for understanding the large-scale structure and evolution of the cosmos.123