A gravitationally lensed supernova with an observable two-decade time delay

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A gravitationally lensed supernova with an observable two-decade time delay
CRAL publication in Nature Astronomy on September 13, 2021. When the light from a distant object passes very near to a foreground galaxy or cluster, gravitational lensing can cause it to appear as multiple images on the sky 1 . If the source is variable, it can be used to constrain the cosmic expansion rate 2  and dark energy models 3 . Achieving these cosmological goals requires many lensed transients with precise time-delay measurements 4 . Lensed supernovae are attractive for this purpose because they have relatively simple photometric behaviour, with well-understood light curve shapes and colours-in contrast to the stochastic variation of quasars. Here we report the discovery of a multiply imaged supernova, AT 2016jka ('SN Requiem'). It appeared in an evolved galaxy at redshift 1.95, gravitationally lensed by a foreground galaxy cluster 5 .
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