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General relativity, also known as the general theory of relativity and Einstein's theory of gravity, is the geometric theory of gravitation published by Albert Einstein in 1915 and is the current description of gravitation in modern physics. General relativity generalizes special relativity and refines Newton's law of universal gravitation ...
- How Does General Relativity Work?
- General Relativity FAQs Answered by An Expert
- Gravitational Lensing
- Changes in Mercury's Orbit
- Frame-Dragging of Space-Time Around Rotating Bodies
- Gravitational Redshift
- Gravitational Waves
- Observing Neutron Stars
To understand general relativity, first, let's start with gravity, the force of attraction that two objects exert on one another. Sir Isaac Newton quantified gravity in the same text in which he formulated his three laws of motion, the "Principia." The gravitational force tugging between two bodies depends on how massive each one is and how far apa...
We asked Elena Giorgi, an assistant professor of mathematics at Columbia University a few commonly asked questions about general relativity.
Light bends around a massive object, such as a black hole, causing it to act as a lensfor the things that lie behind it. Astronomers routinely use this method to study stars and galaxies behind massive objects. The Einstein Cross, a quasar in the Pegasus constellation, according to the European Space Agency (ESA), and is an excellent example of gra...
The orbit of Mercury is shifting very gradually over time due to the curvature of space-time around the massive sun, according to NASA. As the closest planet to the sun, Mercury’s perihelion (the point along its orbit that it’s closest to the sun) is predicted to follow a slightly different direction over time. Under Newton’s predictions, gravitati...
The spin of a heavy object, such as Earth, should twist and distort the space-time around it. In 2004, NASA launched the Gravity Probe B (GP-B). The axes of the satellite's precisely calibrated gyroscopes drifted very slightly over time, according to NASA, a result that matched Einstein's theory. "Imagine the Earth as if it were immersed in honey,"...
The electromagnetic radiation of an object is stretched out slightly inside a gravitational field. Think of the sound waves that emanate from a siren on an emergency vehicle; as the vehicle moves toward an observer, sound waves are compressed, but as it moves away, they are stretched out, or redshifted. Known as the Doppler Effect, the same phenome...
Einstein predicted that violent events, such as the collision of two black holes, create ripples in space-time known as gravitational waves. And in 2016, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) announced that it had detected such a signal for the first time. That detection came on Sept. 14, 2015. LIGO, made up of twin facilit...
In 2021 research published in the journal Physical Review X, challenged several of Einstein's predictions by observing a double-pulsar system around 2,400 light-years from Earth. Each of the seven predictions of general relativity was confirmed by the study. Pulsarsare a type of neutron star that appears to pulse due to beams of electromagnetic rad...
- Scott Dutfield
General relativity is a physical theory of gravity as a geometric phenomenon that arises from the curvature of space-time. It was developed by Albert Einstein in 1916 and has been verified by observations of gravitational lenses, the orbit of Mercury, time dilation, and gravitational waves.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Learn what general relativity is, how it explains gravity based on the changing geometry of space-time, and its history and importance in modern physics. Find out how it differs from special relativity and quantum mechanics, and what are its challenges and goals.
e. General relativity is a theory of gravitation developed by Albert Einstein between 1907 and 1915. The theory of general relativity says that the observed gravitational effect between masses results from their warping of spacetime . By the beginning of the 20th century, Newton's law of universal gravitation had been accepted for more than two ...
The theory of relativity usually encompasses two interrelated physics theories by Albert Einstein: special relativity and general relativity, proposed and published in 1905 and 1915, respectively. [1] Special relativity applies to all physical phenomena in the absence of gravity. General relativity explains the law of gravitation and its ...
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Learn about Einstein's theories of special and general relativity, which overthrew many assumptions of earlier physics and redefined space, time, matter, and gravity. Explore the history, applications, and implications of relativity for cosmology, culture, and human existence.
