🔄FROM THE ARCHIVE: Heaven and earth moved to make Albert Einstein a star a century ago.
Sign Up
“Stars moved by exactly the amount general relativity predicted,” says Mark Hurn, a departmental librarian at the University of Cambridge’s Institute of Astronomy. “It was the first experimental evidence for general relativity being on the right track.” Of course, testing this prediction wasn’t easy because stars aren’t visible during the day; they’re washed out by the sun’s light. And at night, when stars do appear, the sun isn’t around to bend their light. Only when the sun is out but its light blocked could Einstein’s work be checked. That’s why, while working out the kinks in his theory in 1911, he asked astronomers to start looking to the heavens during eclipses.
By the time Einstein had corrected his mistakes and published the completed theory of general relativity, the Great War was in full swing. And after the war, Germany was in shambles, too wrecked to mount expeditions to the distant parts of the world where an eclipse in 1919 would be visible.Fortunately, a copy of Einstein’s theory wound up in the hands of Sir Arthur Eddington, director of the Cambridge Observatory, a math prodigy and devout Quaker.
Newton’s theory of gravity made a competing prediction, worked out in detail by a German astronomer in 1801. His math suggested a shift only half as large, based on the notion that the force of the sun’s gravity would pull on the distant stars’ light particles. After word spread to Germany, it was Einstein’s turn to write to his mother. “Good news today . . . the British expeditions have actually proved the light deflection near the sun.”
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Photos: Early Saturday performers at Pasadena’s ‘Just Like Heaven’ festivalJust Like Heaven festival returned to the grassy grounds of the golf course at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, May 13, gathering for a day 20 bands that got their start in the aughts.
Read more »
Just Like Heaven Festival delivers divine vibes in PasadenaThe long festival day included heavenly sets by Yeah Yeah Yeahs, MGMT, Empire of the Sun and more on Saturday, May 13 at Brookside at the Rose Bowl.
Read more »
The Cure's Show on Saturday Night Was Just Like HeavenFor decades, lead singer Robert Smith has vehemently denied that The Cure is a goth band, but that didn’t stop a crowd of fans dressed head to toe in black, some donning white face makeup, heavy black eyeliner and fishnet tights, from selling out the Dos Eqius Pavilion on Saturday...
Read more »
US Drug Price Plan 'Negotiation With a Gun to Your Head'Pfizer Chief Executive Albert Bourla called US plans to negotiate drug prices for its Medicare health program 'negotiation with a gun to your head.' TwitteRx
Read more »
Alcaraz powers to victory over Ramos-Vinolas on Rome debutWorld number two Carlos Alcaraz marked his Italian Open debut by shaking off a sluggish start to emerge with an efficient 6-4 6-1 second-round win over unseeded Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas on a rain-affected Saturday in Rome.
Read more »
Chlöe Bailey says she moved to London to support sister Halle in 'The Little Mermaid'Chlöe Bailey says she moved to London to support sister Halle in TheLittleMermaid: 'I wanted her to feel confident and secure and amazing, and know that even though I wouldn’t be on set with her, she would never be alone.'
Read more »