The Sun Causes Blackouts !
According to my understanding of some of Einstein's theories , the speed of light is affected by gravity.Light being only a narrow band of electromagnetic waves; radio waves; X-rays and microwaves being the greater majority of them.
In explaining the bending of light waves, Einstein asks the reader to imagine the wave fronts striking the large mass - at right angles. The inner edge of the wave is slowed down due to the [sticky]gravitational force and the outer edge is not so greatly affected.
This is akin to watching a line of soldiers performing a "wheel" [in the trooping of the colour], where the "inner" soldier is marking time , marching on the spot and the outspreading soldiers are progressively moving using larger and larger paces in order to maintain a straight line.
The Earth is a relatively tiny mass in the general scope of things. Using the volume of the Earth as a unity value , with a radius of 6,378km
[For calculation purposes we assume the Earth to be a symmetrical sphere - instead of the poles flattened spheroid it is]
Our Sun has an estimated radius of 695,000km.
See 62229main_System.Lithograph.pdf at [www].nasa.gov
By dividing the Sun's radius by Earth's radius and cubing the result we get the figure of our Sun being 1.2967 million times the volume of Earth
[The 4/3pi factor canceling out top and bottom in the division]
And our Sun is a mere pipsqueak compared to other stars such as Aldeberan and Beteljuice (sic), they in turn being millions of times greater than our Sun.
So the gravitational effect by our Earth on the Sun's light waves will be very minor and any bending effect our Earth does have would be so minute as to be undetectable.
The effect of the Sun itself upon radio signals sent from a deep space probe back to Earth [ and vice versa ] when the Earth is in contradistinction will be noticeable.
Though how the affect is "measured" I have no idea, as for all intents the time a signal takes to arrive back to Earth from a probe in a contradistinct position - will be the time it takes !
Having no "none-gravitational" system to compare and contrast with - even though the scientists can claim the signal should [theoretically] take "x" seconds to arrive or effect a response at distance "y".
When the Earth , Sun and probe are in a direct line with the Sun intervening, I would expect there to be a communication black-out . The vast outpourings of radiation emanating from the sun totally drowning out any puny "six-volt" signal the hapless probe may be emitting.
All of which makes the recent successful landing of a probe on Mars , all the more incredible. For there must have been times during the probe's [8 year?] journey when there was absolutely no communication link with mission control on Earth ; when the intervening Sun quite literally blotted out and "blinded" any two-way signal.
[ I posit 8 years as it is my understanding that the team responsible sent the probe "around" the Sun - to use it's gravitational pull to "slingshot" it towards Mars' orbit.]
