1887/11/01 by A. A. Michelson, E. W. Morley, Edward W. Morley · 1,498 citations
Chemistry · Earth and Planetary Sciences · Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Astrobiology #Chemistry #Classical mechanics #Earth (classical element) #Ether #Geodesy #Geology #Geophysics and Gravity Measurements #Inertial Sensor and Navigation #Mathematical physics #Motion (physics) #Physics #Planetary Science and Exploration #Relative motion
paper · pdf · doi:10.2475/ajs.s3-34.203.333
published in American Journal of Science s3-34(203), 333-345 (Yale University)
openalex publication_date 1887/11/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
1', = time required £01' it to pass in the opposite direction.Further, let To = time required to perform the joul'lley if the earth were at rest.'l'hen '1'= Dt d = ~; aud T,= D v!! = ~ From these relations we Hnd d=Dv~ und d =D-,.c' 1) -'1) '. '+'1) whence T=v D and T'=v D + ; T~T,=2To-v'1) nearly, and -1' v T-T v=V"2'j' If now "it were possible to measure T-T, since V and '1'0 are knowp, we could find v the velocity of the earth's inotion through the ethel'.In a letter, published in "Nature" shortly after his death, Olerk Maxwell pointed out that T-T, could be calculated by measuring the velocity of light by means of the eclipses of Jupiter's satellites at pel'iods when that planet lay in <liffeI'ent directio)1s f!'Om earth j but that fOI' this pnrpose the observations of these coli pses rn nAt gl'C:1.tl'yexceerl in acclll'ac'y those