The 1919 measurement of the deflection of light

The measurement of the deflection of starlight during a total solar eclipse on 29 May 1919 was the first verification of general relativity by an external team of scientists, brought Einstein and his theory to the attention of the general public, and left a legacy of experimental testing that contin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inClassical and quantum gravity Vol. 32; no. 12; pp. 124001 - 124014
Main Author Will, Clifford M
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published IOP Publishing 25.06.2015
Subjects
Astronomy
Cosmology
Deflection
experimental gravitation
Gravitational lenses
Legacy
light deflection
milestones of general relativity
Quantum gravity
Solar eclipses
Time delay
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Summary:The measurement of the deflection of starlight during a total solar eclipse on 29 May 1919 was the first verification of general relativity by an external team of scientists, brought Einstein and his theory to the attention of the general public, and left a legacy of experimental testing that continues today. The discovery of gravitational lenses turned Einstein's deflection into an important tool for astronomy and cosmology. This article reviews the history of the 1919 measurement and other eclipse measurements, describes modern measurements of the effect using radio astronomy, and of its cousin, the Shapiro time delay, and discusses the discovery and impact of gravitational lenses.
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ISSN:0264-9381
1361-6382
DOI:10.1088/0264-9381/32/12/124001