Loner stakes claim to gravity prize

[FLO]

A lone researcher working with borrowed data may have beaten a $700 million NASA mission to the finish line by being the first to measure an obscure subtlety of Einstein's general theory of relativity.

The phenomenon in question is the Lense-Thirring effect, a small force produced as the fabric of space-time gets twisted by a spinning mass such as a rotating planet. The force will drag the point at which a polar-orbiting satellite crosses the planet's equator by a small amount each year.

Source: New Scentist

http://tinyurl.com/2rsyg6

[lunator]

Steve

If this is proved correct it will further show how accurate the theory of relativity is.

Finding this effect around Mars 1st is quite a surprise. You would have thought it could have been calculated aropund the earth 1st.

Cheers

ian

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

It seems as though that would be much easier as the Earth has loads of orbiting stuff that can be tracked accurately and its nearer than Mars.

Captain Chaos

[Astroman]

Actually, the effect is more easily seen around more distant objects since it's a measurement of space-time's distortion. The effect locally is harder to see because we're inside it.

[magician]

Magician he says "Yes the eye can see, but canot see itself"

Well, its a grey day!

Cheers Frank

[The Warthog]

Or as a girl in my brother's grade 6 class said when the teacher said, "Take a look at yourself!". "I can't. I'm too close!"