It is in the city of Murcia, in the south-east of Spain, that a mathematical discovery may have changed the way we observe and explore our universe. Oscar del Barco Novillo, physicist and professor of astrophysics at the University of Murcia, is said to have developed an equation that would reveal the cosmos as never before, allowing us to detect with unexpected precision the asteroids that would head towards Earth. How? By refining our knowledge and understanding of light and how it bends around massive celestial objects, as summarized by online media outlet Daily Galaxy.
The equation in question actually allows us to refine calculations of the gravitational bending of light (GBL), or gravitational lensing phenomenon. “The fundamental significance of our new equation lies in its high accuracy for calculating the GBL angle”says Oscar del Barco Novillo. The innovation shakes up some well-established notions in astronomy, and its applications promise to be numerous.
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The deformation of space-time by massive celestial bodies is, initially, a thorn in the side of astronomers who would have done without this illusion which could mislead them. The position of stars and planets can be modified. And if the phenomenon has been known and studied since the end of the 17the century and Isaac Newton, it is far from being completely understood and explained today.
Thus, Oscar del Barco Novillo’s equation shakes certain hypotheses. “Our study, which is based on a geometric optical model, provides an exact equation for the most precise calculation to date of the GBL angle by a static massive object, such as the Sun or the planets of the solar system”says the Murcian astrophysicist. His work was published in the December 2024 edition of the scientific journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
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Instead of estimating, we can now calculate. The gravitational lensing effect, by distorting the light reflected by asteroids, distorts observations and prevents them from being detected quickly. The new mathematical formula changes everything. Celestial objects previously difficult to observe, such as asteroids, comets or dwarf planets, can now be tracked with precision.
The potential danger posed by huge rocks hurtling towards Earth will now be easier to prevent, with the trajectories of celestial bodies becoming much simpler to calculate. “This could be crucial for precisely locating small celestial objects in our solar system and, therefore, better determining their orbits around the Sun”says the Spanish scientist.
The implications of this discovery are not limited to simple observation of the skies: it could also be used for their exploration. Missions like the Euclid space telescope, launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) in July 2023 and tasked with mapping the position of billions of galaxies, use gravitational curvature as a magnifying glass to observe extremely distant objects. By refining the calculations, Oscar del Barco Novillo’s equation could be of great help to the ESA.
No need to go that far. Our “near” surroundings, such as the planetary system of Proxima Centauri (still located 4,244 light years from the Sun and therefore from the Earth), could be mapped with greater precision. “Different branches of astronomy and astrophysics, such as celestial mechanics or stellar dynamics, could benefit from this new result”concluded Oscar del Barco Novillo.
