Speed of Gravity

[SsDd]

The lecture video is embedded below.

Additionally, slides used in the lecture are embedded below, or can also be downloaded directly from here.

Questions after the lecture? Please feel free to post them in the same thread.







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[noiro]

so how fast do we feel the effects of gravity?

[Chris Peterson]

so how fast do we feel the effects of gravity?

The evidence is that gravity propagates at the speed of light. As to "how fast" you could feel something... well, basically anything feeling a gravitational force is already in the field. A time effect requires a change in the field, and that's not something that normally exists except at such a low level it's basically not detectable.

[mpering]

So hypothetically, if Sol were to magically cease to exist, would we lose our circular orbit before we could see Sol disappear, or would it happen at the same time?

[Chris Peterson]

So hypothetically, if Sol were to magically cease to exist, would we lose our circular orbit before we could see Sol disappear, or would it happen at the same time?

Probably at the same time. Possibly after. Definitely not before.