SOLAR ECLIPSES IN HISTORY by Ken Poshedly In human history, many events of celestial origin were regarded with suspicion at best and utter fear for life at worst. It was not until Europe's "Age of Enlightenment" when the masses slowly began to realize that eclipses and similar occurrences were spectacular natural phenomenon and not angry messages from the gods. Some societies, how- ever, still react with trepidation when the Sun is temporarily blocked out by the passing Moon, or Earth covers the Moon's view of the Sun and turns our satellite into a blood red orb. With this in mind, read on to learn how our ancestors both ancient and recent handled these things. The following information is cour- tesy of Cunard Lines and its June 22 to July 8, 1973 African Eclipse Cruise brochure. 2137 B.C. - The earliest written record of a total solar eclipse comes from China. Two royal astronomers, Hi and Ho, were too drunk to perform the eclipse rites of chanting, beating drums, and shooting arrows at the "dragon" that was devouring the Sun. The emperor ordered them beheaded for their 'sins'. Other reports state that these men also failed to predict the eclipse and left the people unprepared to ward off the dragon. 1900 B.C. - In southern England stands Stonehenge, an awesome arrangement of stones that has been the subject of countless studies, poems, and legends. Evidence indicates that Stonehenge was a brilli- antly conceived astronomical observatory. Certain holes in the stones and their arrangement were apparently used as an eclipse predictor. May 28, 585 B.C. - The most famous solar eclipse of classical times occurred in the midst of a battle between the Medes and the Lydians. Both sides regarded it as an omen and immediately ceased their hostilities, thereby ending a six-year war. May 5, 840 A.D. - Louis of Bavaria, son of Charlemagne (742-814) and head of a vast European empire, supposedly died of fright during this eclipse. His three sons immediately fought over succession, resulting in the division of the empire into what is today France, Germany, and Italy. August 21, 1560 - The announcement of this forthcoming eclipse in France caused many Frenchmen to panic, fighting one another to be next in line at the confessional. One beleaguered parish priest tried to calm the populace by announcing that since there were so many waiting to confess, a decision had been made to postpone the eclipse for two weeks! October 27, 1780 - During the American Revolutionary War, the first American solar eclipse expedition was organized and sent out from Harvard College in Massachusetts. A special immunity agreement was negotiated with the British to allow the scientists to work unharmed. The Harvard expedition, after all their efforts, missed the eclipse because they chose a site outside the path of totality! July 28, 1851 - The first successful photograph was taken of the Sun's corona during totality. August 18, 1878 - Though now said to be untrue, this ranks as one of the world's great chicken stories: American inventor Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) set up his instruments in a Wyoming chicken coop to view this total solar eclipse. But when the Sun became dim, the chickens thought night was upon them and came inside to roost. Edison spent so much time fighting the chickens that he had only a few seconds of the more than three minutes totality to actually observe anything. April 29, 1919 - This eclipse was used to dramatically confirm Albert Einstein's (1879-1955) Theory of Relativity; the experiment proved that the speed of light (300,000 kilometers/186,000 miles per second) is slowed by powerful gravity - in this case, the Sun. January 24, 1925 - Those above 96th Street in Manhattan saw a total solar eclipse while those below 96th Street saw a partial eclipse - all in all, another typical day in New York City. May 9, 1948 - National elections scheduled for this month in Korea were postponed because this total eclipse was to occur on the date originally set for balloting. April 20, 1966 - On this date, Hindu pilgrims by the thousands plunged themselves into sacred bathing tanks in northern India, hoping for protection from demons they believed were causing the Sun to go dark. In this same year, GEMINI 12 astronauts James Lovell and Edwin Aldrin took the first photograph of a solar eclipse from outside Earth's atmosphere. July 10, 1972 - The "world's first floating public eclipse expedition" set sail from New York with 834 passengers to achieve a spectacular rendezvous with totality 1,440 kilometers (900 miles) at sea. Related EJASA articles - "Total Solar Eclipses for the Nineteen Nineties", by Philip Taylor - January 1990 "Explaining Solar and Lunar Eclipses", by Brent Studer - January 1990 About the Author - Ken Poshedly, ASA Secretary, is a long-time amateur astronomer and maintains an ongoing interest in astronomical writing and historical astronomy. Ken's interests also include education and Volkswagens. A technical writer by profession, Ken has a degree in Journalism from Kent State University in Ohio. Ken assists with editing and electronic management of the hardcopy ASA Journal's computerized assembly. Ken is the author of the following EJASA articles: "Did Kepler Fake the Evidence?" - May 1990 "When the Light Gets in Your Eyes, You Shouldn't Have to Drive to the Country" - February 1991 (with James Smith) SOCIETY NOTICE - Solar filters for eclipse viewing (mylar mounted on cardboard) are available from the Astronomical Society of the Atlantic (ASA), Post Office Box 95036, Atlanta, Georgia 30347. Please enclose one dollar ($1.00) and a self-addressed, stamped envelope. The ASA cautions everyone to use extreme care when observing the Sun, to avoid eye damage. THE ELECTRONIC JOURNAL OF THE ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY OF THE ATLANTIC July 1991 - Vol. 2, No. 12 Copyright (c) 1991 - ASA