2007-03-09 08:02:47 · 12 answers · asked by space dreamer 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Gravity affects light, so I would say it would affect everything
2007-03-09 08:05:38 · answer #1 · answered by Samantha 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Actually gravity doesn't really bend light. It bends space and the light thinks it's traveling in a straight line.
That's beside the point though because a spaceship isn't a photon.
To answer your question, the spaceship does not become immune to gravity as it approaches the speed of light. The gravitational field may cause some interesting things though.
You are probably actually wondering how fast gravity acts on an object. For example if a giant star suddenly appeared one light year away how long would it take for the effects of it's gravity to be seen. Scientist think that gravity travels at or near the speed of light. This has not been confirmed. There are experiments underway to try and detect gravitational waves though.
2007-03-10 03:42:41 · answer #2 · answered by minuteblue 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. It would still be affected by gravity. However, the spaceraft would have so much momentum that, proportionally, the affect of gravity would be small.
As to neutron's question:
Both planes and birds are staying in the air by pushing on the air molecules around them. With a bird, it's pretty obvious. The downstroke of their wings pushes down a lot of air and an equal and opposite reaction pushes up on the bird (which are very light compared to their volume). The upward push from the air is greater than the downward pull from gravity. On a plane, it's still the same principle in a very general way - pushing wings through the air displaces the air resulting in lift. In a plane's case, it's a little more complicated. The force that the wing pushes against the air is proportional to how fast the plane is moving. Additionally, some of the air is deflected above the wing in a pattern that leaves a bit of a vacuum above the wings. That increases the difference in pressure between the bottom of the wings and the top of the wings, resulting in even more lift.
2007-03-09 16:44:38 · answer #3 · answered by Bob G 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, gravity affects the space,it curves the space, that is why they call black holes, because not Even the light can escape from this ones because of the high gravity they have.
Is not because the light has mass, is because they curve the space , you don't see it but it is the same as if you are in a car driving at night without light and there is a hole of the size of super bowl and your car is going to follow the road, in the space is something like that, you don't see the space but it is affected by gravity which is something that nobody knows yet how to make it.
The stars you see in the sky every night they are not in the position you really see them because there light was traveling for years passing close to other stars which they curve the light showing the star in a different position.
2007-03-09 16:52:58 · answer #4 · answered by Santiago Beau.. 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Light is not immune to gravity. And neither are jets, even though they are in the air.
Alright, I'm not a physics major, so can some one help me understand how, if velocity doesn't affect gravity, birds and planes fly? You can send me a message by checking my profile... Thanks in advance!
Thanks, I figured it was air that keeps them up, but if something is working against gravity, then isn't it sort of immune to gravity in that sense?
2007-03-09 16:10:42 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
You are not immune to gravity no matter what speed you are moving.
2007-03-09 16:29:38 · answer #6 · answered by pluto035 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No.
That said, if you pass by a very massive object at a very high speed, your path will be deflected less the faster you are going. This is obvious since if you go slow enough, you will be sucked in, go fast enough, you may be deflected in your path, go faster still and you will be deflected a tiny little bit. But gravity absolutely still affects you.
2007-03-09 17:38:29 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. I would say you would probably be killed by tidal gravity forces at that speed. Your mass is going to approach infinity as is the energy required to go faster.
2007-03-09 17:30:25 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. Even light 'lenses' or bends when it passes close to a star. There is no reason to believe anything different would happen to matter traveling at near light speed.
2007-03-09 16:13:50 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
gravity is the ultimate universal force. infinite in it's influence and immune to countermeasures
2007-03-09 16:11:53 · answer #10 · answered by kapute2 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋