Microlensing refers to a phenomenon in space where the gravity of a small celestial object, like a star, bends the light of a distant object, making it appear brighter or magnified for a short period of time. Full definition
«Our new microlensing observations are in agreement with theoretical expectations on the frequency of free - floating Jupiters, and with infrared surveys for planetary - mass objects in star - forming regions,» says Przemek Mróz, lead author of the OGLE paper and an astronomer at the University of Warsaw Observatory in Poland. (scientificamerican.com)
Using a technique called microlensing, astronomers discovered a solar system 5,000 light - years away that contains smaller versions of our Jupiter and Saturn. (discovermagazine.com)
Since 1995, PLANET is an international collaboration searching for extrasolar planets via microlensing effects. (planet.iap.fr)