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Crimean Expedition to Test the Theory of Relativity (1914)

The Crimean Expedition of 1914 was an international astronomical initiative to test the predictions of Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity by observing the deflection of light from stars during the total solar eclipse of August 21, 1914, in the Crimean Mountains.

Overview

To confirm Albert Einstein's theoretical conclusion regarding the curvature of space caused by the mass of the Sun, it was necessary to measure the deflection angle of a light ray from a star during a solar eclipse. On August 21, 1914, the shadow of the Moon was expected to pass from Scandinavia to Crimea, making the Crimean Mountains the optimal location for observations.

The German expedition was organized by Berlin astronomer Erwin Freundlich, with funding provided by the Krupp Foundation and supported by Max Planck.

Key Details / Subtopics

  • German Group and Arrest: On July 19, 1914, Freundlich and his colleagues set off for Crimea to collaborate with Argentine astronomers from the Córdoba Observatory. Following the outbreak of World War I on August 1, russian counterintelligence arrested the German scientists because of their optical equipment, suspecting them of espionage.
  • American Group: American astronomers managed to conduct observations in Crimea; however, due to sudden cloud cover, they lost one of the two minutes of the eclipse.
  • Saving Einstein's Theory: In his initial 1911 calculations, Einstein had made an error (the calculated deflection angle was half of the actual value). The failure of the 1914 observations saved the theory from being rejected, giving Einstein the opportunity to correct the error in 1915.
  • Peculiar Symbolism: The path of the total solar eclipse on August 21, 1914, chronologically and geographically coincided with the future front line of World War I in Europe.