High School How can light travel around an object in space?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Timvanhoomissen
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Light Space Travel
Click For Summary
Light can travel around an object in space due to the bending of its path by gravitational fields, a phenomenon explained by General Relativity (GR). During the 1919 total solar eclipse, observations showed that stars behind the sun were visible because the sun's gravity distorted the light's trajectory. This effect, known as gravitational lensing, allows light from distant objects to be redirected around massive bodies. The discussion seeks clarification on the mechanics behind this bending of light. Understanding this phenomenon is crucial for grasping the implications of GR in astrophysics.
Timvanhoomissen
I came across an article about one of the many observations that helped to confirm GR. This observation took place during the 1919 total solar eclipse. Stars that were located directly behind the sun could be seen during the total solar eclipse because the gravitational force of the sun bent the light from the star so that it went around the sun and reached earth. I'm hoping someone could explain how this phenomenon is possible.
 
Astronomy news on Phys.org

Thread 'Luminous Fast Blue Optical Transients (LFBOTs)'

UC Berkely, December 16, 2025 https://news.berkeley.edu/2025/12/16/whats-powering-these-mysterious-bright-blue-cosmic-flashes-astronomers-find-a-clue/ AT 2024wpp, a luminous fast blue optical transient, or LFBOT, is the bright blue spot at the upper right edge of its host galaxy, which is 1.1 billion light-years from Earth in (or near) a galaxy far, far away. Such objects are very bright (obiously) and very energetic. The article indicates that AT 2024wpp had a peak luminosity of 2-4 x...
View full post »

Similar threads

Undergrad J0524-0336, surprisingly high Li concentration
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
High School Help me understand light traveling through vast distances in space
  • · Replies 26 ·
Replies
26
Views
4K
Undergrad Cosmological Positioning - How does one determine?
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
1K
Graduate Measuring Deflection of Star Light During Eclipse: Separating Space-Time Effects
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
1K
High School Any Feasible Faster-Than-Light Interstellar Travel?
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
1K
High School How did expansion take 380,000 years to let light travel freely?
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
3K
Undergrad What is the new source of space radiation discovered near Earth?
  • · Replies 46 ·
2
Replies
46
Views
11K
Stargazing How can I safely view a solar eclipse?
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
5K
High School Ultramassive Black Hole (UMB), 30 billion solar masses?
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
3K
Undergrad Where can I find publicly accessible data from observatories in Europe?
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K