Bending of Light by a Star

star mass in solar masses

0.

This Demonstration shows how a ray of light that grazes the surface of a star is deflected by stars of different masses.

m=1

corresponds to the mass of the Sun. Since the actual deflection would be imperceptibly small for the range of masses treated here, the angle shown in the graphic is greatly exaggerated. The numerical value of the deflection angle is calculated separately from a series solution to the geodesic equation.