Gravitational Lensing
Astronomers have identified a bright supernova from over 10 billion years ago, its light gravitationally lensed into multiple images by a foreground galaxy. This unique observation allows simultaneous views of different stages of the explosion. The time delays between images could reveal details about the universe's expansion rate and dark energy.
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Astronomers have used time-delay cosmography on gravitationally lensed quasars to measure the universe's expansion rate, finding a value that aligns with local observations but conflicts with early-universe estimates. This result, from a team including University of Tokyo researchers, bolsters the Hubble tension and suggests possible new physics at play. The study analyzed eight lens systems with data from advanced telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope.