How Do Black Holes Influence the Path of Light?

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Black holes influence the path of light through their gravitational effects, which curve spacetime. Although photons are massless, they are still affected by gravity, as they follow the shortest paths in this curved spacetime. This means that light can be bent or redirected by the gravity of a black hole. Gravity does not pull objects in a traditional sense; rather, it creates a curvature that both massless and massive particles navigate. Understanding this relationship is crucial for comprehending the behavior of light near black holes.
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How does the gravity affect of a black hole pull in light?

aren't photons massless?
 
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In relativity, gravity curves spacetime, and particles (massless and non-massless) follow the shortest paths in that curved spacetime. Therefore, gravity effects photons.
 
Yes, as nicksauce points out, gravity does not pull things; gravity is simply a curve in spacetime. Photons follow this curve, just like massive particles do.
 

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