Does the sun attract or repel light waves passing nearby?

Answer 1

Mass attracts light, just as if light were composed of particles that have mass.

The effect is relatively small. So in order to see it happen, you have to catch light that has passed close to an enormous mass.

This theory was checked by observing the light of a star that appeared near the sun during a solar eclipse.

(It had to be done during an eclipse, when the sun was blocked out by the moon. During normal conditions, with the sun unobstructed and blasting away, it would be impossible to see the star.)

Sure enough, the star appeared slightly too FAR from the sun, because its light bent TOWARD the sun on the way by.

Answer 2

The sun does not attract or repel light waves passing nearby. Light waves travel in a straight line until they interact with an object that either absorbs, reflects, or refracts them. The sun emits light waves in all directions due to its high temperature and nuclear fusion processes.