<p><a href="https://www.wired.com/2010/12/wormhole-detection/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">One plausible way of detecting wormholes</a> (<a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/1009.6084" rel="nofollow noreferrer">paper</a>) is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitational_microlensing" rel="nofollow noreferrer">gravitational microlensing</a>. Light paths are bent by the curved spacetime around the wormhole, similar to what happens near black holes. As a wormhole moves in front of background stars it can cause the brightness to vary in a characteristic way, making it <a href="https://journals.aps.org/prd/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevD.74.024020" rel="nofollow noreferrer">possible to distinguish it from a black hole</a>. </p>

<p>One of the problems is that there are <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/0806.4059v1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">many possible wormhole models</a>, so the light curves can look different. Some can also produce <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0370269318309572" rel="nofollow noreferrer">multiple Einstein rings</a>, others none. However, this may in theory be good news for learning what model is right if one sees a really weird light curve. In practice, given noise and lack of observations, multiple explanations will likely be possible for a long time if one sees just one example.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-08T08:49:02.777Z
2020-04-08T08:49:02.777Z
Anders Sandberg
<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wormhole" rel="nofollow noreferrer">A wormhole</a> is a sort of tunnel that could connect two points in spacetime. These are theoretical objects that have not been observed. What observational evidence could we look for to confirm (or disprove) their existence? If they do exist, what should we be looking for to find one?</p>

<p><a href="https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/a/21/9527">This</a> answers how wormholes could be created. This is not what I'm asking about. I want to know what observations could be done (potentially with telescopes we don't have yet) to confirm the existence of wormholes. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-07T12:09:40.380Z
@antispinwards The title may be similar, but the question is rather different, and the answer to that question has nothing to do with my question.
usernumber
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-07T12:32:26.567Z
There are several different questions in that post. And the one I'm interested in is not answered.
usernumber
<general-relativity><wormhole>
How could we observe a wormhole?
usernumber
# How could we observe a wormhole?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-04-07)

[A wormhole](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wormhole) is a sort of tunnel that could connect two points in spacetime. These are theoretical objects that have not been observed. What observational evidence could we look for to confirm (or disprove) their existence? If they do exist, what should we be looking for to find one?

[This](https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/a/21/9527) answers how wormholes could be created. This is not what I'm asking about. I want to know what observations could be done (potentially with telescopes we don't have yet) to confirm the existence of wormholes.

**Tags:** general-relativity, wormhole
> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: @antispinwards The title may be similar, but the question is rather different, and the answer to that question has nothing to do with my question.  
> **username_0**: There are several different questions in that post. And the one I'm interested in is not answered.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-04-08. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

[One plausible way of detecting wormholes](https://www.wired.com/2010/12/wormhole-detection/) ([paper](https://arxiv.org/abs/1009.6084)) is [gravitational microlensing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitational_microlensing). Light paths are bent by the curved spacetime around the wormhole, similar to what happens near black holes. As a wormhole moves in front of background stars it can cause the brightness to vary in a characteristic way, making it [possible to distinguish it from a black hole](https://journals.aps.org/prd/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevD.74.024020).

One of the problems is that there are [many possible wormhole models](https://arxiv.org/abs/0806.4059v1), so the light curves can look different. Some can also produce [multiple Einstein rings](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0370269318309572), others none. However, this may in theory be good news for learning what model is right if one sees a really weird light curve. In practice, given noise and lack of observations, multiple explanations will likely be possible for a long time if one sees just one example.


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