Sir Author Eddington and Einstein's GTR

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around Sir Arthur Eddington's proof of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity (GTR), specifically focusing on the techniques used during the solar eclipse observations and the experimental methods involved in validating GTR.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about the techniques Eddington used to determine the optimal location for photographing the eclipse.
  • Another participant asserts that Eddington did not test GTR.
  • A different participant suggests that predicting solar eclipses has been established knowledge and provides a general outline of the experimental technique used, which involved comparing star positions before and during the eclipse to measure apparent shifts.
  • This participant notes that the measurements were sufficiently close to the predictions of general relativity for Eddington to declare success.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

There is disagreement regarding whether Eddington actually tested GTR, with some participants asserting he did not, while others discuss the methods he used in the context of the eclipse observations.

Contextual Notes

Some assumptions about the reliability of eclipse predictions and the accuracy of the measurements taken during the experiment remain unaddressed, and the discussion does not resolve the validity of Eddington's claims.

plutoisacomet
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Hello, I have a question or two about Sir Author Eddington's proof of Einstein's GTR.

1)How did or what technique did Sir Eddington use to know where to get the best photo of the eclipse.

2)Can someone explain the experimental technique behind his proof of Einstein's GTRMany thanks from a layperson.
 
Last edited:
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eddington never tested gtr
 
plutoisacomet said:
Hello, I have a question or two about Sir Author Eddington's proof of Einstein's GTR.

1)How did or what technique did Sir Eddington use to know where to get the best photo of the eclipse.

2)Can someone explain the experimental technique behind his proof of Einstein's GTR


Many thanks from a layperson.

For question 1, I can't give the specifics, but predicting where and when solar eclipses would occur has been known for a long time.

For 2, the general idea was to have a picture of the star positions at night and then compare it to a picture of the stars positioned in the sky near the sun at the time of the eclipse. The apparent shift in position was measured and compared to that predicted by general relativity. It was close enough for Eddington to proclaim the success of GR.
 
Thanks for your help Mathman.
 

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