General relativity is a fundamental theory of physics that describes the behavior of gravity at a large scale, particularly in the presence of massive objects like planets, stars, and galaxies. Developed by Albert Einstein in the early 20th century, general relativity posits that gravity is not a force pulling objects towards each other, but rather a curvature in spacetime caused by the presence of mass and energy. This theory has been confirmed through various observations and experiments, and is a key component of modern astrophysics and cosmology. General relativity has also led to the prediction and discovery of phenomena such as black holes, gravitational waves, and the expanding universe. Ongoing research in general relativity seeks to further test and refine the theory, explore its implications for extreme environments like black holes, and investigate its connections to other areas of physics such as quantum mechanics.