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Black-hole physics

Gravitational Redshift

The stretching of light to longer wavelengths as it climbs out of a gravitational well, a prediction of general relativity. It is extreme near a black hole's event horizon, where light is redshifted without limit, and has been measured for the Sun, for white dwarfs, and even for atomic clocks at different heights on Earth.

Highlights

  • Light reddens as it climbs out of gravity

Knowledge connections

Sources

The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.

  • NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration

    Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.

    Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.