8 Minutes - eviltoast
  • FundMECFSResearch@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    3 months ago

    From an AI, so take with some salt:

    Yes, gravity is believed to travel at the speed of light.

    According to Einstein’s theory of general relativity, the effects of gravity propagate through spacetime at the speed of light. This means that if a massive object were to suddenly change its position, the gravitational effects would not be felt instantaneously by objects around it, but would instead spread outward at the speed of light.

    This is in contrast to the classical Newtonian view of gravity, which treated it as an instantaneous force. Einstein’s theory showed that gravity, like other forms of electromagnetic radiation, obeys the speed limit set by the speed of light.

    Experimental evidence, such as observations of binary pulsars, has confirmed that gravity does indeed propagate at the speed of light, as predicted by general relativity. This is a crucial aspect of our modern understanding of the nature of gravity and its relationship to the fabric of spacetime.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​