# How faster is the effect of force exerted by gravity? [duplicate]

We all know that Earth revolves around the Sun due to Gravitational force of the Sun. Also we know that it takes just over 8 minutes for the Sun's light to reach Earth. Now let us say, hypothetically if the sun were to suddenly extinguish (or disappear), would the Earth still not experience any effect of it until just over 8 minutes later (equivalent to time taken by light to reach from Sun to Earth) ? That is, Would the earth still continue to revolve (due to the centripetal force) for next 8 minutes after Sun disappearance and then thrown out of its revolving orbit (due to centrifugal) OR will it be immediately thrown out on the moment the Sun disappeared (i.e., not after 8 minutes) ?

## marked as duplicate by Ben Crowell, John Rennie, Qmechanic♦Oct 12 '13 at 15:08

• Related: physics.stackexchange.com/q/5456 – jinawee Oct 11 '13 at 23:12
• No not "due to Gravitational force of the Sun" but because of the gravitational force between the Sun and the Earth. – hpekristiansen Oct 12 '13 at 0:01
• Now let us say, hypothetically if the sun were to suddenly extinguish (or disappear), This would be inconsistent with general relativity, which requires local conservation of mass-energy. You can move the sun away very quickly, but you can't just make it disappear. – Ben Crowell Oct 12 '13 at 2:02