NASA mission confirms elements of general relativity
Posted: Thu, May 5, 2011, 7:30 AM ET (1130 GMT)
A NASA mission more than half a century in the making has confirmed two key predictions of Einstein's theory of general relativity, project officials said Wednesday. Gravity Probe-B (GP-B), launched in 2004 but first proposed in the late 1950s, was able to detect the warping of spacetime caused by a gravitational body, as well as frame dragging, the effect on space time by a spinning object. The spacecraft measured these effects with four ultra-precise gyroscopes as the spacecraft orbited the Earth, aimed at one particular star. The conclusions are not particularly surprising, since other experiments and spacecraft have also collected evidence in support of general relativity, but project scientists said the GP-B data is the most direct confirmation of general relativity to date, although not to the same degree of precision as originally expected.
A NASA mission more than half a century in the making has confirmed two key predictions of Einstein's theory of general relativity, project officials said Wednesday. Gravity Probe-B (GP-B), launched in 2004 but first proposed in the late 1950s, was able to detect the warping of spacetime caused by a gravitational body, as well as frame dragging, the effect on space time by a spinning object. The spacecraft measured these effects with four ultra-precise gyroscopes as the spacecraft orbited the Earth, aimed at one particular star. The conclusions are not particularly surprising, since other experiments and spacecraft have also collected evidence in support of general relativity, but project scientists said the GP-B data is the most direct confirmation of general relativity to date, although not to the same degree of precision as originally expected.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Tuesday, October 21
Avio Reaches Key Milestone in the Development of its FD1 Rocket Demonstrator
European Spaceflight — 6:48 am ET (1048 GMT) TAU study reveals a new understanding of the formation of the first stars
Tel Aviv University — 6:47 am ET (1047 GMT) Dark matter makes a comeback in galactic glow mystery
Eurekalert — 6:47 am ET (1047 GMT) Scientists Discover Building Blocks of Life in Ice Around a Forming Star in Neighboring Galaxy
Univ. of Maryland — 6:47 am ET (1047 GMT) Engineers Developing New Protective Coating for Spacecraft
Univ. of Texas at Dallas — 6:47 am ET (1047 GMT) |
