Summary
Comparing our exact solution with the usual monochromatic electromagnetic plane wave as treated in special relativity (i.e., as a wave in flat spacetime, neglecting the gravitational effects of the energy of the electromagnetic field), we see that the striking new feature in general relativity is the expansion and collapse cycles experienced by our observers, which we can put down to background curvature, not any measurements made over short times and distances (on the order of the wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation).
Read more about this topic: Monochromatic Electromagnetic Plane Wave
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