Physics wonks, who would have thought you'd strike gold on Príncipe? Here lies the site of the famous Eddington Experiment, which proved that gravity is a function of the curvature of space and time, a significant aspect of Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. Some placards behind the roça (plantation) tell the story.
If Einstein was correct, the astronomer Arthur Eddington realised, then the gravity of the sun should bend starlight that passes nearby, such that the apparent position of stars should slightly shift. In order to test this idea, he needed to observe the sun during an eclipse, so its nearby stars could be seen. The necessary conditions arose here at Roça Sundy on 29 May 1919. From his observations, Eddington discovered that the stars did indeed shift position as predicted, confirming Einstein's theory.
At time of research the administrator's house here was being converted into a boutique hotel by the owners of Bom Bom Resort – it should open in mid-2017, with further accommodation in some very high-end bungalow tents on the beach below.
