Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-09-21
BY DIR. EDWIN 2. SLOSsON

will be put to the proof. After that day we
may perhaps know whether Einstein is to
be ranked with Copernicus and Newton
among those who have revolutionized mans
conception of the universe or whether he
will be regarded merely as the author of an
ingnious mathematical theory of limited ap-
plicability to realty.
For the last three years the theory Of rela-
tivity has been the topic of lively discussion
extending far beyond the scientific circle, for
the public realized that some interesting is
sues Wer somehow involved in it's incom-
prehensibIe mathematics More than thou
sand books and uncountable articles have
been published on Einstein; all sorts, pro and
con, physical and metaphysical, experiment.
al and speculative, serious and frivolous.
Prizes have been offered to anyone who
could explain it in ordinary language. Per-
sonal, political, religious and racial passions
and prejudices have been aroused. Einstein
was the first German .:cientist to be welcomed
since the war in England, France and the
United States, but in his own country he has
to go into hiding to escape assassination by
the junkers.
It is a remarkable example Of how the
progress of science may continue in spite OF
kolitical conflict that during the World war
Einstein should have sat quietly in his study
in Berlin thinking out his theory and that
during the world war English astronomers
and preparing to put it to the test at the
earliest opportunity.
This opportunity came on May ~, 1919
when there was tote eclipse Of the sun.
For Einstein had predicted that when the
stars about the darkened disk of the sun
were photographed they would appear as
though pushed out of their positions. Just
as when a dirty and malodOrous man gets
on street car, the other passengers move
away from him, those nearest naturally NOV
H. zoo
of Einstein's theory Of relatively, which is
designed to supplant, or a least to supple
ment, Newtons theory of gravitation.
According to Einstein ray of light from
a star passing close by a heavy body like the
sun is drawn out Of it's straight course lit
tie, somewhat as though it were stream
of material particles but to a greater extent
tina Newton's law would allow for. TO an
astronomer looking up at the star along It's
crooked path and not making allowance for
the bend it would seem that the star had
been moved away from the sun minute dis
lance (1.74 seconds of arc). Of course this
effect is the same at all time but it can only
be observed when the suns disk is complete
ly Swallowed from us by the moons coming
between.
So the British Astronomer Royal, Profess
sor Eddington of Cambridge, sent out two
eclipse expeditions in 1919 to points where
the eclipse could be observed, one to the
west coast of Africa and the other to the
east coast. of Brazil. When he came to de-
veop and measure up his photographs he
found that the stars about the darkened sun
were displaced in the direction and close to
the amount predicted by Einstein.
This was good evidence in Einstein's favor,
but scientists are cautious creatures and not
all of them were ready to accept so startlingI
theory as this without further confrma-
ton. The weather was very cloudy IN Africa
and the only good photograph obtained att
the Southern American station was one
taken when the sun was in their midst
But there has been no other total eclipse
observable till this year and this is not sol
good one. There are no bright stars near
to the sun, in fact only one visible to the
naked eye among those close enough to the
sun so their displacement can be measured. |
But there are four or five faint stars that
may be caught on sensitive plate with
good telescope if the weather permits.
Unfortunately, too, the eclipse occurs in a
highly inconvenient part of the EARTH It's
track is along the Indian Ocean and through
the heart of Australia where there are no cb-
servatories and few people. The best point
is on Christmas Island lying west OF Austria
liza and south of Java. This island only meas
ures, eight by twelve miles and has pOpu- !
lation of about $50 according to the latest
census. But it's population must be lncreas-
ed now by at least ten per cent for the Brit
ish German and Dutch expeditions are sta
toned there Christmas Island is favored
site for it is in the middle of the track of
the eclipse. The darkness here lasts five
minutes anG astronomers can do much in !
five minutes. An expedition from the Lick
Observatory California, is stationed on the
west coast of Australia and the Observatory
of Adelaide has sent party into the arid
interior of Australia which involves five
weeks Of travel by camel train but which
is pretty certain to get cloudless weather. |