Apart from this one, it has hitherto been possible to make only two
deductions from the theory which admit of being tested by observation,
to wit, the curvature of light rays by the gravitational field of the
sun,*x and a displacement of the spectral lines of light reaching
us from large stars, as compared with the corresponding lines for
light produced in an analogous manner terrestrially (i.e. by the same
kind of atom).** These two deductions from the theory have both
been confirmed.
Notes
*) First observed by Eddington and others in 1919. (Cf. Appendix
III, pp. 126-129).
**) Established by Adams in 1924. (Cf. p. 132)
PART III
CONSIDERATIONS ON THE UNIVERSE AS A WHOLE
COSMOLOGICAL DIFFICULTIES OF NEWTON'S THEORY
Part from the difficulty discussed in Section 21, there is a second
fundamental difficulty attending classical celestial mechanics, which,
to the best of my knowledge, was first discussed in detail by the
astronomer Seeliger. If we ponder over the question as to how the
universe, considered as a whole, is to be regarded, the first answer
that suggests itself to us is surely this: As regards space (and time)
the universe is infinite.
Pages:
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126