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The Solar Gravitational Lens will Map Exoplanets. Seriously.

Launch Pad Astronomy · explainer · Watch on YouTube

Cosmology & astrophysicsSpace exploration & spaceflight

What it is

Explains the proposed NASA JPL plan to use the Sun as a gravitational lens, sending solar sail craft to its focal region to image an exoplanet's surface. It covers the distances involved, how imaging with the Sun would work and the mission design.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN strongly recommends it as the clearest, best-illustrated explanation of the solar gravitational lens idea, and links it whenever exoplanet imaging comes up.

  • 10 people recommended it
  • 9 different months
  • 7 strong recommendations
  • first 2020, last 2025

What HN commenters said

  1. “is a great great video on the subject. I can't recommend enough”

    Great explanation of solar gravitational lens imaging.

    augusto-moura, 2020-09 · Strong recommendation · in “Why is there a normal galaxy sitting at the edge of the Universe?”

  2. “yes, can't recommend this enough!”

    Fleet of lightsails with optics imaging exoplanets.

    pas, 2020-09 · Strong recommendation · in “Why is there a normal galaxy sitting at the edge of the Universe?”

  3. “This video on gravitational lensing blew my mind”

    Mind-blowing explanation of gravitational lensing for exoplanet imaging.

    dmix, 2022-12 · Strong recommendation · in “Two temperate Earth-mass planets orbiting the nearby star GJ1002”

  4. “(The whole video is great.)”

    Explains using the sun's gravitational lens to resolve exoplanet surfaces.

    echelon, 2023-03 · Strong recommendation

  5. “It's got some great graphics and visualisations, and is accessibly narrated.”

    Accessible 23-minute video with great graphics on NASA's solar gravitational lens plans.

    tombh, 2024-10 · Strong recommendation · in “A solar gravitational lens will be humanity's most powerful telescope (2022)”

  6. “There is a very high quality video about how Solar Gravitational Lens could be used to map exoplanets”

    Covers exoplanet mapping, image reconstruction and engineering challenges in depth.

    altharaz, 2024-10 · Strong recommendation · in “Ion engines could take us to the solar gravitational lens in less than 13 years”

  7. “This video has a good description of the paper”

    Good description of the paper on imaging exoplanets via the solar lens.

    guidoism, 2023-05 · Recommendation · in “Photographing an exoplanet 25 light years away with 25km/pixel resolution (2020)”

  8. “...and an excellent video on the topic”

    Excellent video on imaging exoplanets with a solar gravity lens.

    floxy, 2023-09 · Recommendation · in “Webb Discovers Methane, Carbon Dioxide in Atmosphere of K2-18B”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: exoplanet imaging, gravitational lensing, solar sails, nasa jpl, space telescope

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