Related papers: The October 10, 1912 solar eclipse expeditions and…
According to general relativity, a spinning body of mass M and angular momentum S, like a star or a planet, generates a gravitomagnetic field which induces, among other phenomena, also the Lense-Thirring effect, i.e. secular precessions of…
We review the experimental evidence for Einstein's special and general relativity. A variety of high precision null experiments verify the weak equivalence principle and local Lorentz invariance, while gravitational redshift and other clock…
The potential of the gravitational microlensing inside our Galaxy for testing the Einstein formula for the gravitational light deflection is discussed. For this purpose, the lens mapping is modified by introducing parameter eps, which…
Einsteins general theory of relativity is one of the most important accomplishments in the history of science. Its experimental verification a century ago is therefore an essential milestone that is worth celebrating in full. We reassess…
The detectors designed for Gaia, the next ESA space astrometry mission to be launched in 2011, will allow to observe repeatedly stars very close to Jupiter's limb. This will open a unique opportunity to test General Relativity by performing…
In order to perform high resolution astrometry of the solar diameter from the ground, through the observations of eclipses, the study of the limb darkening profile is described. Knowing the profile of the solar limb is useful both to…
We analyze in some detail the years leading up to Albert Einstein's visit to Argentina, from the moment he rose to fame after the publication of the results of the 1919 solar eclipse, until his arrival at the port of Buenos Aires in March…
Light bending is one of the significant predictions of general relativity (GR) and it has been confirmed with great accuracy during the last one hundred years. In this paper, we semiclassically calculate the deflection angle for the photons…
In the famous Solvay 1927 conference, Einstein discussed a gedanken experiment involving a single photon diffracted at an aperture and impinging on a screen. He devised the example to support De Broglie's hypothesis of the pilot wave, and…
Classical light bending is investigated for weak gravitational fields in the presence of hypothetical local Lorentz violation. Using an effective field theory framework that describes general deviations from local Lorentz invariance, we…
This is an article commissioned by the Spanish Physics Magazine ("Revista Espa\~nola de F\'isica") for the Centennial Anniversary of the discovery of General Relativity. The article reviews experimental and observational efforts to test…
On November 18, 1915 Einstein reported to the Prussian Academy that the perihelion motion of Mercury is explained by his new General Theory of Relativity: Einstein found approximate solutions to his November 11, 1915 field equations.…
In his 1916 ground-breaking general relativity paper Einstein had imposed a restrictive coordinate condition, his field equations were valid for coordinate systems which are unimodular. Later, Einstein published a paper on gravitational…
An experiment for the speckle reconstruction of solar features was developed for observing the partial eclipse of the sun as viewed from Bangalore on October 24, 1995. No data could be obtained because of cloudy sky but the experimental…
We reanalyse the solar eclipse linked to the Biblical passage about the military leader Joshua who ordered the sun to halt in the midst of the day (Joshua 10:12). Although there is agreement that the basic story is rooted in a real event,…
Equations of light, propagating from quasar to observer on earth, are integrated in the time-dependent gravitational field of the solar system by making use of either retarded or advanced solutions of the Einstein field equations. This…
An exact analytical expression for the bending angle of light due to a non-rotating massive object, considering the actual distances from source and observer to the gravitational mass, is derived. Our novel formula generalizes Darwin…
The non-spherical shape of the Sun has been invoked to explain the anomalous precession of Mercury. A brief history of some methods for measuring solar diameter is presented. Archimedes was the first to give upper and lower values for solar…
This article reviews atmospheric changes associated with 44 solar eclipses, beginning with the first quantitative results available, from 1834 (earlier qualitative, accounts also exist). Eclipse meteorology attracted relatively few…
Although gravitational waves only interact weakly with matter, their propagation is affected by a gravitational potential. If a gravitational wave source is eclipsed by a star, measuring these perturbations provides a way to directly…