Can Light Orbit a Massive Object?

[H Smith 94]

According to Hawking [1] it is posited that light photons at the event horizon of a black hole must cease to move, and remain motionless for the entire lifetime of the black hole.

It is also observed [http://dls.physics.ucdavis.edu/~scranton/LensedCMB/a2218.gif] (and calculated) that the path of light will be bent by a sufficiently massive object, due to the curvature of spacetime around that object.

Now, since gravity is a long-range force, I was wondering if it is possible for conditions to exists under which a photon could orbit an object due their gravitational attraction? If so: what would these conditions be; how can we observe it; and what implications, if any, does this have?

 

[Orodruin]

According to Hawking [1] it is posited that light photons at the event horizon of a black hole must cease to move, and remain motionless for the entire lifetime of the black hole.

Note that this is only true for light that would be moving radially outwards. All other light will inevitably enter the black hole and eventually reach the singularity.

I was wondering if it is possible for conditions to exists under which a photon could orbit an object due their gravitational attraction?

There is a circular light-like orbit at 3/2 times the Schwarzschild radius.

 

[A.T.]

I was wondering if it is possible for conditions to exists under which a photon could orbit an object due their gravitational attraction?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photon_sphere