Can a Black Hole's Gravitational Field Alter Light's Path?

[obamallama]

I have heard that a Black Holes gravitation field is so strong, light itself (a form of energy, not matter) can be caught in it. Please explain how.

Also, if light is actually affected by such high gravitational force, wouldn't it be possible for light to alter it's main course because of the gravity, thereby enabling one to see beyond a system?

 

[kcajrenreb]

To answer the first question, the exact same way matter is affected by the gravity. The escape speed of a black hole is faster than the speed of light, therefore light does not escape.

And the second question:

I don't quite know what you're asking, but yes, light's course can be 'bended' by gravity (really space is bending, and light is moving along the bent space), and you can see the light of stars being bent by large cosmic objects.

 

[PSz]

Gravitational lensing is the term. It may be a single object like a black hole or many of them, such as cluster of galaxies.

 

[GADAMBA]

I have never come to terms with the concept of "space" does it not mean " regions not perceivable to man" or what? Is the same space what we can say is "beyond" the universe.

 

[PSz]

I have never come to terms with the concept of "space" does it not mean " regions not perceivable to man" or what? Is the same space what we can say is "beyond" the universe.

You could define space as a 1+dimensional area within any system defined and contained within our Universe.

What kind of "stuff" our given space contains depends strictly on the area and scale chosen.

There is no "beyond the Universe", as space is only a property of this system we call Universe. You can't step out of the Universe for a while, unfortunately.