The Eclipse That Proved Einstein
On a tiny African island, astronomers waited for the clouds to part during a total eclipse. Their photographs showed that light from distant stars bends around the Sun.
What was reported
Einstein's new theory of gravity predicted that the Sun would bend starlight passing close by, but stars near the Sun can only be seen during a total eclipse. In 1919, Arthur Eddington took a team to Príncipe, off the west coast of Africa, while another team went to Sobral in Brazil.
On the day, clouds covered Príncipe until the eclipse was nearly over. Eddington's team got a few useful photographs through a gap. Back in England, the results showed the stars had shifted, by the amount Einstein predicted.
Explanations offered
Newspapers announced a revolution in science, and Einstein became world-famous overnight. Later analysis has questioned how precise the 1919 results were, but many eclipses and experiments since have confirmed the effect.
- When
- 29 May 1919
- Where
- Príncipe, São Tomé and Príncipe
- Witnesses
- British astronomers on Príncipe and in Brazil
- Status
- Confirmed
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.