"Hello,
I was thinking about some things today and remember reading that if
(hypothetically) our sun was to disintegrate (in an instant) that the effects would not be immediatley seen or felt. Just as light from our sun takes time (approx. 8 minutes) to reach earth so does the force of gravity.
So several hypothetical/basic questions :
If light always travels at the same speed, does the force/influence of gravity also travel at the same speed (that of light)?
What effect does the "bending" of light by huge masses have on the speed of light and the speed of gravity?
On earth would the loss of light and gravity be simultaneous and instant (after 8 minutes) or would there be a slow dissipation of light and gravity?
Would we be orbiting "nothing" for 8 minutes?
see ya, VINCE"

I don't think it's known whether the affects gravity travel at light speed at not. But matter doesn't disintegrate- matter can be converted into energy (decreasing gravity) or it can combine with other masses (increasing local gravity affects).