Abstract

Big Historical Solar Eclipses in Central Europe

Marek Zawilski
Presented by A. Wrembel

In aller Kürze wird über die Geschichte der Sonnenfinsternis-Beobachtung in Europa seit dem 5. Mai 840 berichtet. Im Mittelalter überraschten Finsternisse die Beobachter.
Ihr Verlauf, Wetterbedingungen und Gefühle der Menschen wurden in Chroniken berichtet.
Über fast alle solchen Ereignisse finden sich Zeugnisse.
Seit dem 17. Jahrhundert können Sonnenfinsternisse gut berechnet werden und wurden so zum Objekt präziser wissenschaftlicher Beobachtung.

Inhabitants of Europe observed big solar eclipses for centuries. Unfortunately, as no written evidences from early ages are preserved, we can only speculate on how they experienced those unusual celestial events.

In Central Europe, till early middle ages there were few educated people who could write down any historical information. Also, medieval astronomy did not practically exist till XIIIth century. So, almost all of the early Central European accounts on solar eclipses could be found in chronicles and histories being written down year by year in monasteries spread in many countries.

Because no detailed predictions of eclipses were accessible for a long time, a disappearance of the sun by day caused a total horror, especially in relation to some excerpts from the Gospel. That known source of wisdom for the society predicted the end of the world following the total solar eclipse. For a certain location, one big solar eclipse occurred often some hundred years after the previous one, therefore none of living persons usually witnessed "the black sun" two times in his lifetime.

The history of big eclipses in Central Europe one can begin from the fair spring day, 5 May 840. In France, Bavaria, Austria and northern Italy, people became literally frightened and the king of France, Louis le Pieux (son of Charlemagne), witnessing the event somewhere in Bavaria became sick and died 6 weeks later. One of his chroniclers, however, left a factual description of the eclipse with its phases.

The most known total eclipse occurred at hot noon, on 2 August 1133, when a dark night fell from Scotland to Israel. In today's Netherlands, Germany and Austria monks tried to describe their sudden and terrible feelings. The "ring with diamond" was remarked in Germany and "the Sun like a diadem", i.e. almost totally eclipsed - in Prague.
Only 108 years later, this time in an autumnal afternoon, on 6 October 1241, the sun eclipsed totally in this region, and in general from Denmark to Egypt. A "wonderful blackness" is likely the most interesting remark from Germany. Prague was at the northern limit of totality and as if a twilight occurred.

Germany witnessed total solar eclipses in middle ages frequently. The next big eclipse surprised inhabitants of this country in the morning of 16 June 1406. Everywhere inside the path of totality it became very dark, so that the people could not recognize each other. The end of the world seemed to be approaching... After only 9 years, also in the morning, on 7 June 1415, again the black sun appeared in the sky from Spain to Russia. Unfortunately, many people in southern Germany, Bohemia, and Poland stayed in buildings that time, celebrating masses and praying. What could they feel in such a situation ? In Konstanz the pause in the conciliar trial of Jan Hus, the religious reformer, just began.

And 18 years passed till the next big eclipse on 17 June 1433. The darkness occurred from Scotland to Syria, terrifying inhabitants of the Netherlands, Germany, Bohemia and Austria. But an anonymous from Köln was able to write about "the most beautiful eclipse he could ever seen" ! Obviously, nobody remembered the event from before 300 and even 27 years.

Shortly before the sunset on 16 March 1485, the horrible eclipse was seen in Switzerland, southern Germany and Austria. The serious disturbances of the cycle of nature could be concluded from old entries.

Even the narrow path of totality on January 1544 made the sky dark in Austria and Germany. And till the beginning of the XVIIIth century there was no big solar eclipse more !

Finally, however, approached the day of 12 May 1706. The wide path of totality passed across Europe from Spain to Russia. This time, the event could be predicted quite well and both educated astronomers and common people witnessed it with a big interest. As far as we know, a beautiful weather prevailed in Central Europe on that day. The solar corona and protuberances were observed for about 5 minutes in maximum, also with the aid of telescopes, for the first time in the past. Also, for the first time, the contacts of totality have been timed precisely. Switzerland, southern Germany and Silesia were the regions with most valuable recordings from Central Europe. It should be admitted that the first visibility (and timing) of the annular eclipse in our region took place in Germany on 25 July 1748 (and it was observed in Scotland, too).

The next totality could be observed again by the next generations, namely on 8 July 1842 in northern Italy and Austria-Hungary. Then, a big number of astronomers went to Prussia and Mazovia to observe the total eclipse on 28 July 1851. Warsaw really enjoyed its last total eclipse by good weather. The morning eclipse from 19 August 1887 in East Germany and Poland was lost when dense clouds covered the sky.

When we analyse the old reports on big solar eclipses from Europe, we have to draw a rather unexpected conclusion : almost all of the events were observed ! Although they were not seen everywhere along the path of totality, in most cases at least few records were found. For the period 800-1900, only for the total eclipses from 30 November 810, 16 July 1330, 26 June 1424, 16 November 1816 and 19 August 1887 any credible accounts were not found, although some reports on partial eclipses for some of the above dates are known. Was the weather better in the past ?

Soon the eclipse from 11 August 1999 will belong to the past. Hopefully, with many unforgettable experiences of all observers.

Some examples of old descriptions of European big solar eclipses are presented in the poster.

Dr. Marek Zawilski, Polish Association of Amateur Astronomers (PAAS),
President of the Section Observations of Positions and Occultations
Address: ul. Julianowska 5/7 m. 322, Lodz, Poland E-Mail: mrkzaw@ck-sg.p.lodz.pl
Telephone:+48 42 6575794 Fax: +48 42 6313517

Artur Wrembel, Filharmonia, ul. Libelta 16, Bydgoszcz 85-080, Poland
E-Mail: krzgrzel@friko2.onet.pl, Telephone: +48 52 604229301

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