Eli5 If space is curved in many locations because of big objects and stuff, how do we know where an observed light originates then?

Question

If it passes in/by those gravitation fields, it must (I guess) also change direction at least slightly?

In: 43

Answer 1

It’s not getting bounced around all over the place like an array of mirrors. The effect only affects our perception of objects in a relatively straight line. So the gravitational lensing effect is only going to happen when there is an object between us and the star we are trying to observe.