Historiska eclipser
Recorded eclipses, such as the *1Babylonian eclipse of 746 BCE *2Chinese eclipse records from 1200 BCE, help track changes in Earth's rotation and provide astronomical data for modern science. Notable events include the *3 eclipse during Alexander the Great's campaign, Columbus's use of a lunar eclipse to save his crew, and the *4 1453 solar eclipse over Constantinople, which may have contributed to the city's fall.
*1The Babylonian eclipse of February 6, 746 BCE was a significant event in ancient times, recorded in Babylonian astronomical records and identified by NASA. This partial lunar eclipse is notable as the earliest lunar eclipse for which a date has been precisely back-dated by modern astronomers. It occurred during a turbulent period in the Neo-Assyrian Empire, a time of revolts, famines, and disease, and is considered the Bur-Sagale eclipse, a potential omen of destruction associated with the Assyrian capital of Nineveh.
*2Chinese eclipse records from the 13th and 12th centuries BCE, found inscribed on oracle bones in Anyang, China, provide some of the earliest accounts of solar eclipses. These records, which describe eclipses and refer to them as "The Sun has been eaten," were used by NASA scientists in the 1980s and 1990s to study changes in Earth's rotation rate.
*3A total lunar eclipse occurred on the night before the Battle of Gaugamela in 331 BCE, a pivotal confrontation where Alexander the Great defeated Darius III of Persia. Ancient historians like Plutarch and the Babylonian astronomers noted this astronomical event, which was interpreted as an omen of Darius's defeat and a morale booster for Alexander's army. The eclipsed moon's deep red color was seen as a prophecy of spilled blood, further strengthening the belief in Alexander's impending victory.
*4There was no solar eclipse in 1453, but a significant partial lunar eclipse (a "Blood Moon") occurred over Constantinople on May 22, 1453. This event, visible during the Ottoman siege, coincided with the fall of the Byzantine capital on May 29, 1453. For the Byzantines, the eclipsed moon was seen as a dreadful omen of impending doom, while for the Ottomans, it was a sign of good fortune, as their symbol was the crescent moon.