The theory of general relativity proposed by Albert Einstein has passed its most intense test yet, this one about 7,000 light years from Earth.
With his theory of general relativity Einstein proposed that space and time are related, and that gravity is in fact a phenomenon whereby objects of a certain mass cause a curvature in the space-time continuum, much as how a bowling ball indents a mattress.
Einstein's theory has passed almost every test it has been given, but scientists still want to know at what point the theory might begin to fall apart, much like how Isaac Newton's theories began to break down in the wake of Einstein's research.
It looks like scientists will have to wait a bit longer, as a new experiment once again reiterates the validity of Einstein's theory, this time on the largest scale yet. In their latest test, scientists observed a white dwarf, which is a small, dying star, paired with a pulsar, which is a large, fast-spinning star. The pulsar was so massive that its gravity was 300 billion times that of Earth, making the conditions come close to those of a black hole.
As it turned out, the measurements taken by the scientists regarding the orbital periods of the two objects perfectly matched those theorized by Albert Einstein.
"The study is significant for the way observations by astronomers are helping to identify new, extreme cases" to test Einstein's theory, theoretical physicist at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland Charles Wang said.
The study was published Thursday April 25 in the journal Science.
