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Photos taken at August 16, 2008 , 21:11 UT (23:11 Danish Summer Time). Courtesy Kim Grooth, Anna Frandsen, Gianina Malureanu, Anders Clausen, Anders Clausen, Majuran Perinpam; Thomas M. Mathiesen. Further images - click for details.
Canon EOS 10D - 100 ASA - Meade APO reduced to f = 720 mm.
This lunar eclipse was proceeded by a solar eclipse two weeks before, on August 01, 2008- an event also photographed by our students :
-photo :
Several of the proceeding eclipses, and the fear following these , actually changed world history .
This picture shows a dreadful Chinese space monster, preparing to eat our sun.
A well known Chinese example goes back to 1851. The old Manchu emperors were about to fall, due to the so called Taiping Rebel Group.
Western governments tried to support the chinese emperor, sending modern weapons and British and American officers. The General of this army was Charles Gordon, a military genius.
He suffered his first defeat in 1851. A rebel headquarter was to be attacked on a moonlit night. Very unexpectedly, a lunar eclipse occurred shortly before the assault.
The superstitious Chinese soldiers interpreted this as a most evil sign and lost their fighting spirit.
As a result the attack failed and there were high casualties.
Several years later General Gordon himself died, indirectly due to a solar eclipse.
In 1884-85 he led the defence of the Sudanese capital of Khartoum against an attack by rebels. This time a solar eclipse demoralised Gordon’s native forces and the city was captured shortly before a British relief expedition arrived. General Gordon was among those slaughtered. (e.g. read the magnificent article written by Bradley E. Schafer, Sky & Telescope, Dec. 1992, page 639-643).
Another well known historical example dates back to Christopher Columbus.
On his fourth voyage to America in 1504 Columbus faced problems. His ships were in poor condition due to shipworms and the vessels had to be beached in Jamaica.
A lot of his supplies had been stolen. Half his crew had mutinied and now, while his ships were sitting like ducks on the beach, the Indians refused to supply them with food.
In this dire situation Columbus had a great idea. Western European astronomers had calculated that a lunar eclipse would occur on Sept. 14-15th 1494.
Columbus now informed the Indians that, due to the Gods being angry, the Moon would disappear during the following night.
The lunar eclipse appeared right on schedule,
and Columbus finally got his supplies.
Sky & Telescope’s author, Roger W. Sinnott, had an interesting article on this project, see Sky & Telescope, Oct. 1992, Page 437-440.
Suggested Project in Maths / Science :
During all his lifetime Columbus did not believe that he had found a new continent, but instead, believed he had discovered a new tradeway to India.
This Lunar Eclipse could however easily have shown Columbus, that he was not placed in India.
However, due to a surprisingly simple mathematical error, he miscalculated his position once again.
This mathematical error is probably the reason why the continent found by Columbus is not called e.g. "Columbia".
So always be careful, and doublecheck all your calculations.