  Many of the general-relativity-tests such as bending of light near a star and
gravitational red/blue shift are explained without general-relativity and
without Newtonian-approach. The author first casts doubts on both, the
Newtonian and the relativistic approach; and proposes a novel
alternative-explanation. The new alternative-explanation is based on
refraction-phenomenon of optics. It predicts that as the ray passes
through/near the stars atmospheric-medium, it bends due to
refraction-phenomenon towards star-core, like a ray bends while passing through
a prism or water-drop. A semi-empirical estimation of the atmospheric-height
and its refractive-index are made to find the refraction-results. The
refraction-based theory also suggests new explanation for gravitational
red/blue shift; it tells that frequency remains constant (as it is so in
refraction-phenomenon) and the red/blue shift is due to change in wavelength
due to change in velocity of light in the medium . Estimated results for
bending of light and the red/blue shift etc. with the new approach though agree
well with known values, but important thing is that the physics is quite
different. The proposed refraction-based theory proposes a new-look on
black-hole, suggesting that black-hole formation is critically due to
total-internal-reflection within atmosphere and subsequent absorption into the
star-core. Gravitational-lensing is explained as real refraction-lensing. The
present paper also suggests a possible-alternative and meaning to the curved
geometry of space-time, and indicates that the fabric of space-time which
warps(curves) around the mass is not the empty-vacuum but the
atmospheric-medium.
