Gravitational Lensing: Measuring a White Dwarfs Mass! 🌌(AI Enhanced) #shorts #short

Shown is a visualization of how astronomers determine the mass of a white dwarf using a rare celestial phenomenon involving a white dwarf passing by a distant background star.
The white dwarf, represented by the dot in the front, is the remnant core of a Sun-like star. It is shown passing in front of a distant background star, represented by the dot in the back, which is a process known as occultation.
As the white dwarf moves in front of the background star, the star's light path is deflected by the white dwarf's gravity. This causes the background star to appear to change its position slightly, an effect known as gravitational lensing.
Gravitational lensing, first predicted by Albert Einstein as a consequence of his theory of general relativity, has recently been utilized by astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope. For the first time, they directly measured the mass of a single, isolated white dwarf using this technique.
The angular deviation caused by gravitational lensing in this case is incredibly small. To put it into perspective, the deviation is equivalent to observing an ant crawl across the surface of a quarter from 1,500 miles away.
This groundbreaking observation showcases the incredible precision and power of the Hubble Space Telescope, as well as the innovative ways in which astronomers continue to study the universe.

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