Definition of "gravitational lens" [gravitational lens]

• A massive celestial object, such as a galaxy, whose gravity bends and focuses the light of a more distant object, resulting in a magnified, distorted, or multiple image of the original light source for a distant observer. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.