How does gravity affect the path of light?

[Ron777]

Question: If gravity can bend light toward it's source, or even hold it back so to speak (like a black hole), how does light bend around a star like photo attached? It seems if gravity pulls light toward it, the light shouldn't move out and around the star/sun but bend into it?

 

[DaveC426913]

You are interpreting the picture wrong.

The pic is confusing because the light ray is not aligned with the grid. But light rays can go any which way they want. This one happens to be crossing the imaginary grid at an angle.

But rest assured: that light ray is coming directly - in a straight line - from its source.

 

[DaveC426913]

Look what happens if we add more light rays. These rays are from a near point source, so they radiate outward from that point.

 

[DaveC426913]

But this might make more sense. Here, the light rays are coming from a distant source, so they are all parallel.
They remain parallel until they enter the star's gravity well, then they bend inward.

 

[Ron777]

Scratch that, now I see what your saying, your first pic shows it, their graphic (that I posted) is what threw me, yours is a better visual showing more light paths, thanks!