WOLFRAM|DEMONSTRATIONS PROJECT

Microlensing Light Curve for Stellar Objects

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closest projected approach
u
0
0.07
relative angular motion
Einstein ring radius
= c
1
farthest ± time displayed T
2
height of graph z
25
Gravitational microlensing is a phenomenon in which a compact, massive foreground object (the lens) bends the light of a background object (the source, such as a star or galaxy) so that multiple images of the source can be seen. If the source travels close enough to the lens in the sky, there is a chance of observing a microlensing event, during which the brightness of the source, and therefore of the entire system, increases for a brief period. This interactive graph shows the light curve of such an event, based on various parameters of the system.