Mankind’s fascination with eclipses has been going on a long time, since at least November 30th, 3340 BC when Irish Neolithics built an eclipse tracking cairn site and recorded the event in stone.

Eclipse Icon 3340 BC, Loughcrew Cairn, Paul Griffin
World’s oldest known eclipse record.

Ancient Chinese Astrologers believed a celestial dragon was devouring the sun (or the moon), and the populace would bang drums in an attempt to frighten the dragon away.  Not the best job to hold in ancient China; if the Astrologer miscalculated the date of the eclipse, he was likely to lose his head.

Beautiful and mysterious as they are, important scientific knowledge has been gained through observations of eclipses.  During a total solar eclipse viewed in India, August 18, 1868, the element helium was discovered.  The British Astronomer Sir Authur Eddington was able to provide conclusive proof supporting Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity by conducting experiments during the May 29, 1919 total solar eclipse.

August 11, 1999 solar eclipse viewed in France.

Image:  Luc Viatour (www.lucnix.be)

Here’s a word for you Scrabble players:  Syzygy.  That’s an eclipse involving three or more celestial bodies in the same gravitational line.  Great word, isn’t it?

Science now uses eclipses to find planets orbiting distant stars.  When the planet passes in front of its sun, we can measure the tiny dip in brightness.

This is the Martian moon Phobos transiting (eclipsing) the sun:

October 27, 2005, as seen by the Mars Rover, Opportunity.
Image:  NASA/JPL