Re: Is a shadow affected by gravity?

There is a previous answer in our archives that answers the question Can a shadow go faster than light? It is relevant to your question in that it makes the point that a shadow is not an object. A shadow is the absence of light.

However, the edges of shadows are defined by beams of light, and light certainly can be affected by gravity, although the effect is rather small. Since the shadow itself is nothingness, it is not directly affected by gravity, but inasmuch as the light defining the shadow's edges is affected by gravity then the "shadow" is affected. You can find previous answers in our archives discussing the effect that gravity has on light here and here and here.

John Link, MadSci Physicist