The effects of gravity spread at the speed of light. If the sun suddenly blinked out of existence, it would take eight minutes to both see it disappear from Earth and notice a change in our planet’s motion. In other words, the planet would continue to orbit that empty space in the middle because the sun’s gravity, much like it’s light, would still be extending out to us.

The universe is expanding in every part of space all at once. Some places are so far apart that the collective expansion between them is growing at greater distances in a given amount of time than light can travel. And the same can be said for the effects of gravity, but the motion of objects caused by gravity at great distances is far, far slower than the speed of light.

Our galaxy is moving in a direction that is caused partly by something called “The Great Attractor.” But even though it’s causing us to move, we will never reach it, and it’s influence on us will gradually weaken. And it’s not even that far away compared to most of what we know is out there.

That being said, this news is interesting.