This diagram illustrates how gravitational lensing by foreground galaxies influences the appearance of far more distant background galaxies. These far-off galaxies that might otherwise be invisible appear due to lensing effects. The plane at far left contains very distant, background galaxies. The middle plane represents foreground galaxies; their gravity amplifies the brightness of the background galaxies. The right plane shows how the field would look from Earth with the effects of gravitational lensing added.
Credits
Image
NASA, ESA, Zolt G. Levay (STScI), Ann Feild (STScI)
