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General Relativity

By making precise measurements of gravitational radiation, astronomers will be able to test the predictions of Einstein's Theory of General Relativity. Scientists want to know, "Does time really freeze near a black hole? How stretched-out is spacetime when we get close to a huge mass?" Strong gravitational wave sources like black holes should be able to give us a picture of the 'knots' in spacetime--areas where gravity has such strong effects that it 'ties' matter in, and the matter cannot escape. Interesting sources like these will enable LISA to map out the area around a black hole, in order to confirm the predictions of General Relativity.

Publication Date: August, 2003



The Imagine Team
Project Leader: Dr. Barbara Mattson
Curator: Meredith Gibb
Responsible NASA Official: Phil Newman
This page last updated: Tuesday, 21-Feb-2006 15:02:58 EST