| The role of eclipses in culture and the science of mankind:
From the most ancient times, solar and lunar eclipses as well as other rare astronomical phenomena, such as the occurrence of comets, were perceived as negative events. People were very much afraid of eclipses as they seldom occurred and represent unusual and frightening natural phenomena. In many cultures, eclipses were considered as warnings for misfortunes and catastrophes (especially, where it concerned lunar eclipses, apparently due to the red color of the shaded Moon, associating that with blood). In mythology, eclipses were connected with a battle of higher forces, one of which wishes to disrupt the established order in the world ("extinguish or "swallow " – Sun , "kill" or “Fill with blood” – Moon) and another — to preserve it. Superstitions of some cultures demanded complete silence and inactivity during eclipses and others, on the contrary, activated magical actions to help the “light forces”. In any measure, such a relationship towards eclipses remained till recent times, in spite of the fact that the mechanism of eclipses was l studied long ago and well known.
Eclipses have given rich material to science. In ancient times, the observation of eclipses helped to study the celestial mechanics and to understand the structure of the Solar system. Observation of the Earth’s shadow on the Moon has given the first “Space” proof of our planet being a sphere. Aristotle was the first to indicate that the shape of the Earth’s shadow, during lunar eclipses, was always round. Solar eclipses have allowed studying the crown of the Sun, which is impossible to study during the usual period. During solar eclipses, for the first time, the phenomena of gravitational bending of light beams near dense masses could be recorded which became one of the first experimental proofs for the conclusions about the general relativity theory. Observations for the orbiting of planets around the solar circle played a huge role in studying the internal planets of the Solar system. So, Lomonosov, observing the orbit of Venus around the solar circle in 1761, for the first time (30 years prior to Shroter and Herschel) opened Venus’s atmosphere, having found the refraction of solar beams during the orbiting and exit of Venus from solar circle.
In older times, solar eclipses caused superstitious terror in people. Without knowing the reasons behind eclipses, ignorant people completed the observable picture with their imagination. Some believed that solar eclipses are special omens and others viewed this phenomenon as an attack of a huge dragon-monster on the Sun, trying to gobble-up the heavenly luminary. Cowardly people ran in panic, trying to escape from the solar eclipse and the anger of the gods, and braver persons, aspiring to rescue the Sun from the dragon, quickly armed themselves with anything available at hand -tambourines, drums, cookers, frying pans, bow with arrows, spears and stones, in short, whatever was available and threw spears and stones towards the monster while making unimaginable noise. And to their pleasure, they soon found out, how once again the narrow solar crescent appears due to the black circular slide in the sky, stars disappear and their beam radiance quickly brightens and at last, the Sun once again assumes its usual appearance. People dispersed happily with their acts, satisfied with the fact that they could rescue the sun from disaster. And, if the solar eclipse occurs after many years, then having the experience of rescuing the sun, people once again resorted to same acts. In ancient large centralized states, priests-astrologers were available in the court of rulers, who were given the task of studying the sky and according to the positioning of stars, predict the occurrence of celestial phenomena, which can favor or cause difficulties to the state. Before taking an important decision in the regard of the state, it was accepted to consult an astrologer and the astrologer who inaccurately predicted the outcome of a proposed act, had to face the wrath of the ruler. It is quite clear, that astrologists predicted well-studied periodic phenomena accurately and deserved the praise of their masters but their other predictions and advices were always vague and ambiguous.
In due course of time, by the beginning of the 6th century BC, ancient astronomers have managed to establish reasons for solar eclipses. They paid attention towards the obscuring of stars by the moon during its movement in the sky and the disappearance of the Moon during solar eclipses and from here, the ancient astronomers made a conclusion that the Moon encounters the Sun and obscures it.
It is possible to present many examples, when the calculation of circumstances and dates of solar eclipses allowed in establishing or specifying not only the dates of historical events but also systems of ancient chronology.
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This Friday, August 1, 2008, the world will see another total eclipse of the Sun.
Viewers from the United States will see partial solar eclipse, while northern Europe, North America, Greenland, and most Asia will see the total solar eclipse. Ancient Chinese believed total eclipse happened when a giant dragon ate the sun. They performed the special rituals to chase the dragon and make him release the Sun. Ancient Vikings legend says the two chasing wolves, Skoll and Hati, were to blame for making the sun disappear from the sky.
