What is the order of magnitude of the mass of photons?

[petrushka.googol]

A smaller mass is attracted to a larger mass by the distortion in space time created by the larger mass.

 

As a smaller mass comes in the field of a larger mass its path in space is modified by this field.

 

Even the smallest mass feels the effect of the larger mass but if the object is massless (zero rest mass) then ideally it should not be effected by this field.

 

A beam of photons has zero rest mass but if we consider the effect of gravitational lensing paths of photons from a distant star are signficantly bent indicating that photons do indeed have some rest mass.

 

Is this true?

 

After all gravitational force is a function of the masses of the interacting objects and in the absence of mass gravitational field does not influence vacuum?

 

Or does it?

 

Please provide some insight.

[swansont]

A smaller mass is attracted to a larger mass by the distortion in space time created by the larger mass.

 

As a smaller mass comes in the field of a larger mass its path in space is modified by this field.

 

Even the smallest mass feels the effect of the larger mass but if the object is massless (zero rest mass) then ideally it should not be effected by this field.

 

A beam of photons has zero rest mass but if we consider the effect of gravitational lensing paths of photons from a distant star are signficantly bent indicating that photons do indeed have some rest mass.

 

Is this true?

 

After all gravitational force is a function of the masses of the interacting objects and in the absence of mass gravitational field does not influence vacuum?

 

Or does it?

 

Please provide some insight.

 

No. In Newtonian gravity mass is required, but in general relativity things move according to the curvature of space, and this includes photons.