[ron123456 (OP)]

I read the following quote: "According to the theory of relativity, no information can travel faster than the speed of light in vacuum, but this does not mean that the refractive index cannot be less than 1. The refractive index measures the phase velocity of light, which does not carry information.The phase velocity is the speed at which the crests of the wave move and can be faster than the speed of light in vacuum, and thereby give a refractive index below 1".
This can occur in plasmas. If this applied to the sun's corona and the actual rays of Hyades went through the sun's photosphere instead of the corona and then to earth then Hyades could have been shifted outward and visible for Eddington and had nothing to do with gravity?

[Bored chemist]

The refractive index measures the phase velocity of light, which does not carry information

You seem to be saying that something that does not carry information brought a message about the path of light.

It's also important to recognise that a plasma may have a refractive index below 1, but that's not the same as saying that it must have an index less than 1.

Feel free to provide calculations showing the effects of refraction on the experiment..

[ron123456 (OP)]

I'm wrong....thx

[Bored chemist]

Well done!
Most people don't have the guts to ever say that.

[Colin2B]

This can occur in plasmas. If this applied to the sun's corona and the actual rays of Hyades went through the sun's photosphere instead of the corona and then to earth then Hyades could have been shifted outward and visible for Eddington and had nothing to do with gravity?

Relativity predicts that the bending of the light rays is independent of frequency, whereas refraction for em radiation through the sun’s photosphere varies with frequency. This has been tested by observing different frequency quasars and is found to be independent of frequency. So, a gravity effect, not refraction.

[Bored chemist]

This can occur in plasmas. If this applied to the sun's corona and the actual rays of Hyades went through the sun's photosphere instead of the corona and then to earth then Hyades could have been shifted outward and visible for Eddington and had nothing to do with gravity?

Relativity predicts that the bending of the light rays is independent of frequency, whereas refraction for em radiation through the sun’s photosphere varies with frequency. This has been tested by observing different frequency quasars and is found to be independent of frequency. So, a gravity effect, not refraction.

Good point.
Even in Eddington's experiment, the effect would have been noticed.
The star would have been spread into a spectrum.
He would have recorded that.