This article is about observing binary stars. For precession of orbiting bodies, see
de Sitter precession.
The de Sitter effect was described by Willem de Sitter in 1913[1][2][3][4] (as well as by Daniel Frost Comstock in 1910[5]) and used to support the special theory of relativity against a competing 1908 emission theory by Walther Ritz that postulated a variable speed of light dependent on the velocity of the emitting object. De Sitter showed that Ritz's theory would have predicted that the orbits of binary stars would appear more eccentric than consistent with experiment and with the laws of mechanics. However, the results from astronomical observations did not support this. This was confirmed by Kenneth Brecher in 1977 by observing the x-rays spectrum.[6] For other experiments related to special relativity, see tests of special relativity.
- ^ W. de Sitter, Ein astronomischer Beweis für die Konstanz der Lichtgeschwindigkeit Archived 2016-11-30 at the Wayback Machine Physik. Zeitschr, 14, 429 (1913).
- ^ W. de Sitter, Über die Genauigkeit, innerhalb welcher die Unabhängigkeit der Lichtgeschwindigkeit von der Bewegung der Quelle behauptet werden kann Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine Physik. Zeitschr, 14, 1267 (1913).
- ^ de Sitter, Willem (1913), "A proof of the constancy of the velocity of light" , Proceedings of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, 15 (2): 1297–1298, Bibcode:1913KNAB...15.1297D
- ^ de Sitter, Willem (1913), "On the constancy of the velocity of light" , Proceedings of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, 16 (1): 395–396
- ^ Comstock, Daniel Frost (1910), "A Neglected Type of Relativity" , Physical Review, 30 (2): 267, Bibcode:1910PhRvI..30..262., doi:10.1103/PhysRevSeriesI.30.262
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
brecher was invoked but never defined (see the help page).