ART. 189 - Aberration

Summary

Under this head may conveniently be considered not only the apparent displacement of the stars discovered by Bradley, but other kindred phenomena dependent upon the velocity of light bearing but a finite ratio to that of the earth in its orbit round the sun, and to other astronomical velocities.

The explanation of stellar aberration, as usually given, proceeds rather upon the basis of the corpuscular than of the wave theory. In order to adapt it to the principles of the latter theory, Fresnel found it necessary to follow Young in assuming that the æther in any vacuous space connected with the earth (and therefore practically in the atmosphere) is undisturbed by the earth's motion of 19 miles per second. Consider for simplicity the case in which the direction of the star is at right angles to that of the earth's motion, and replace the telescope, which would be used in practice, by a pair of perforated screens, on which the light falls perpendicularly. We may further imagine the luminous disturbance to consist of a single plane pulse. When this reaches the anterior screen, so much of it as coincides with the momentary position of the aperture is transmitted, and the remainder is stopped. The part transmitted proceeds upon its course through the æther independently of the motion of the screens. In order, therefore, that the pulse may be transmitted by the aperture in the posterior screen, it is evident that the line joining the centres of the apertures must not be perpendicular to the screens and to the wave front, as would have been necessary in the case of rest.