The Eddington's Eclispe and a Possible Replica of the Experiment of Light Bending

TL;DR

This paper reviews the historic 1919 solar eclipse experiment measuring light bending by gravity, discusses its geometrical aspects, and explores potential replication using modern SOHO satellite data during the International Year of Light 2015.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of the original experiment's geometry and proposes a modern replication using satellite data to test General Relativity.

Findings

Historical measurement of light bending confirmed Einstein's predictions.

Analysis of geometrical conditions for experiment replication.

Proposal for using SOHO satellite data for a similar experiment.

Abstract

The success of the first measurement of the light bending by the solar gravitational field is due to the particular stellar field during the Eddington's 1919 total eclipse of the Sun, near the Hyades, giving the opportunity to measure the gravitational bending of the light to the astronomers in two expeditions in Brazil, Sobral, and on the Principe Island in the Atlantic Ocean. The geometrical properties of this field and another field in Leo are discussed in view of repeating this experiment of General Relativity with SOHO satellite data in the context of the International Year of Light 2015.