Columbus was an Astronomer

This week we celebrate Columbus Day, in honor of Christopher Columbus: the discoverer of the New World. Most people never think about it, but Chris had a deep interest in science and was a competent astronomer; he was also a creative opportunist. Had he not been, he might never have survived to make four voyages to the new world. It is also a fact that a lunar eclipse saved his life.

Columbus was not the first person to believe that the world was not flat. Over 1700 years earlier, about 250 BC, it was known that the world was, indeed, round. The Greek philosopher, Eratosthenes, had even measured the earth's circumference, its tilt and size, all with remarkable accuracy. It has been theorized that Columbus may have obtained some of this information.

Columbus was convinced he could reach Eastern Asia by sailing west around the world; here would be a shortcut to spices, silks and riches. The Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria set sail August 3, 1492, and landed in the Bahamas October 12. Columbus was convinced he had arrived at the East Indies and Japan. (Chris should have paid closer attention to how big Eratosthenes thought the world was.)

It was on Columbus’s fourth voyage to the New World that he pulled a fast one on the natives, and together with a lunar eclipse, saved his crew. One of the ships had suffered some damage and stranded them in Jamaica. Since provisions were low, the sailors began trading with the natives. This worked out until the locals lost interest and became annoyed with some of the less respectful sailors. The locals even refused to deal with Columbus anymore.

Now Columbus was in a real bind, facing starvation. But Columbus knew that a total lunar eclipse was to take place February 29, 1504. He even knew that it was to begin just after sunset. So Columbus gathered the natives and told them he would remove the moon from the sky if they would not cooperate with him. "Attend well the rising of the moon" was the message he sent to the local chieftain.

The natives at first did not believe him. Then the full moon rose a blood red, then it began to dim. The natives worried. The moon got very dim; the natives got very worried. Then the moon disappeared. The natives were in a panic and pleaded with Columbus. Columbus retreated to his cabin while he let them worry; he knew precisely when the moon would reappear. Just before the moon began to come out of totality, he came back out to the natives and kindly offered to return the moon if they agreed to give him food. The natives agreed, and were awash with relief when the moon reappeared. Chris had no more trouble with the natives.

A warning to heed, however: make sure the natives are not better astronomers than you! A British astronomy journal reported once about an English gentleman sent to rule a British province in the Sudan. The man had trouble with the natives and decided to resort to the "Chris Columbus maneuver." He informed the natives that if they did not comply with his wishes, he would take a bite out of the moon the following night. The chief of the natives stepped forward. "If," the chief responded, "he was referring to the expected lunar eclipse, it was the night after next."