The gravity of galaxies can act as natural telescope lenses, magnifying our view to a more distant object. Astronomers rely on this cosmic hack to see almost back to the beginning of the Universe, so they're searching for as many as they can. When the Roman Telescope launches in 2027, it's expected to find thousands of these gravitational lenses, and will be able to use them to study the cosmos; not only the galaxies we see, but the influence of the dark matter we can't.

Cosmic ‘lenses’ will better define dark matter

Physicists Bryce Wedig and Tansu Daylan, in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, calculated how many gravitational lenses will be uncovered by NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope when it begins science operations in 2027. By examining a large population of these lenses, the researchers hope to learn a lot more about the mysterious nature of dark matter.

The Source (source.washu.edu)