Science Trail E3

Príncipe island was one of the two locations where the British expeditions organized for the observation of the total solar eclipse of May 29, 1919 took place. The second location was the city of Sobral, in Brazil.

The travelers had the objective of photographing the background of stars during totality in order to test the bending of light rays, the most spectacular prediction of Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity. The solar eclipse of May 29 confirmed this prediction: it was a long eclipse, lasting 302 seconds, which allowed many photographs to be taken of the bright stars in the vicinity of the Sun. These photographs were then compared with others in which the position of the same stars was taken during the night, i.e. without the presence of the Sun.

The success of these observations was a milestone for the demonstration of Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity and for its worldwide recognition.

The astronomer Arthur Eddington and watchmaker Edwin Cottingham traveled to the island of Príncipe where they remained for about a month and a half, accompanied by two tons of equipment. The logistics of these expeditions, including the transport of materials and instruments, were complex and challenging – you can follow some steps and curiosities of the expedition’s journeys in the storymap. The travelers were welcomed by Jerónimo José Carneiro, owner of Roça Sundy and president of the Associação de Plantadaores, at Roça Sundy and Santo António, having the time and opportunity to enjoy the social life with the local elite.

Eddington’s gaze during the stay on Príncipe island motivated the development of this Science Trail – E3 Trail. His impressions are described in detail in the letters sent to his mother and sister, where he mentions what he experienced on the island, the people he met, the emotions he felt, and the observation of the solar eclipse.

But, 

The E3 trail invites participants to travel along 6 stations, located between Roça Sundy and the city of Santo António, while interacting with different aspects associated with the 1919 eclipse.

In each station, interdisciplinary experiments are proposed that mix astronomy, physics, history and mathematics, combining historical, scientific, social and cultural aspects.

The E3 trail is directed at any individual or group of individuals, with a particular focus on schools. Those who live on the island of Príncipe will be able to deepen their knowledge about the history of the 1919 eclipse; those who visit the island will be able to learn more about the local culture and this event that is part of the history of Príncipe island.

 The E3 Trail stems from preexisting trains, bridging education and research components of the E3GLOBAL project which aims to write the first global history of the solar eclipse of 1919.

 The E3 Trail can be followed in the direction Sundy-Santo António or, in the opposite direction, Santo António-Sundy.

At each station you will find an identification plate with a QR code that takes you to an internet site with detailed information on that station.

The distance between the first and last stations is about 8.5 kilometers and the estimated stopping time at each station is around 10 to 15 minutes.

Four of the six stations of the E3 Trail are located in Roça Sundy. If you start at Roça Sundy, the first station coincides with the exact location of the eclipse observations. The second station is at the main house of the plantation. The third and fourth, close to the Sundy Science Space.

Click on the icons marked on the map below, then on the buttons that lead to each station:

Figure 1: Location of 4 out of the 6 stations of Trail E3, at Roça Sundy.

Leaving Roça Sundy towards Santo António, the fifth station will be next to the road, near the intersection to Ponta do Sol, in Cajamanga. The sixth station is located in Santo António, in the building of the current BISTP agency. This was once the home of the Jerónimo Carneiro family in the city of Santo António.

Click on the icons marked on the map below, then on the buttons that lead to each station:

Figure 2: General location of the stations of the E3 Trail, in the general panorama of the island of Príncipe.

Enjoy this experience!