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General relativity

In addition to special relativity, there is also a general theory of relativity which goes beyond special relativity to incorporate the effect of gravity. This explains why:

  • Data from GPS satellites have to be adjusted in order to give accurate positional data. (There is also a smaller'—'but still significant'—'effect due to special relativity.)
  • Starlight near massive objects. This was famously observed during a solar eclipse by Arthur Eddington in an experiment that confirmed one of Einstein's predictions.
  • There is a precession of Mercury's orbit by about 43 arcseconds per century. It was the successful explanation of this phenomenon by general relativity which led to its widespread acceptance.
  • Light from distant stars is redshifted, an observation which led to the conclusion that the universe is expanding.