5 ms·

I'm probably taking your comment far too seriously, but.... The Sun's reference frame is privileged compared to ours: it is far closer to being an inertial ref

• nmc 13y ago
  I think you mean "both would not be considered inertial in GR". An inertial frame of reference suggests the existence of a homogeneous, isotropic region of space; in general relativity, gravitation shapes space and, since gravitation has infinite range, such a region does not exist. The closest relativistic thing would be a reference frame free-falling inside a gravitational field: it is locally inertial. So yes, the Sun is more inertial than Earth, but neither are a real inertial reference frame — because such a thing cannot exist. In Newtonian perspective, they can both be considered inertial — but you will also need to pick three stars far enough so they seem immobile.