LensaEddingtona

LensaEddingtona is a hypothetical optical instrument concept in astronomy designed to enhance observations of gravitational lensing. Named after the early 20th‑century British astronomer Arthur Eddington, it represents a proposed hybrid lens system intended to achieve high angular resolution and contrast for images of lensed sources.

Design and technology: LensaEddingtona combines a hybrid refractive–diffractive optical train with an adaptive optics system and a segmented wavefront-sensing array. The instrument is designed for use on both ground-based and space-based platforms, operating from the visible through the near‑infrared. A distinctive feature is the Eddingtonan phase plate, a phase-modulation element intended to reduce chromatic and geometric aberrations across a broad spectrum.

Capabilities and applications: The instrument aims to deliver precise astrometric measurements and high‑contrast imaging of multiply imaged sources, enabling reconstruction of the mass distributions in lensing galaxies and clusters. It supports time‑delay cosmography by monitoring variable sources such as quasars and enhances microlensing surveys for exoplanet detection in crowded fields. Its modular design facilitates integration with existing telescopes and planned interferometric arrays.

Status and context: The concept arose in theoretical and simulation studies in the 2020s–2030s as part of future lensing science. It remains unbuilt in the real world, although mock‑up prototypes and software pipelines have been developed in academic projects. In speculative science and fiction, LensaEddingtona is described as a future instrument for probing dark matter distributions and cosmic expansion.