A Huff and a Bluff can bring you all the way Home
I came across this rather interesting tid-bit concerning Columbus in a Science News article. Being Columbus Day, I figured to share it with you:
Luckily for Christopher Columbus, the mathematical computations found in the the 1475 Ephemerides, an almanac produced by the German astronomer/mathematician Johannes Muller proved accurate in the prediction of a 1504 lunar eclipse.
Columbus set sail from The Old Spanish City, or Cadiz. Nearly 2 years later, he and his crew found themselves stranded on the northern coast of Jamaica.
The indigenous peoples of Jamaica grew annoyed at their unwelcome guests, became hostile and refused to help the seemingly ungrateful Columbus and his crew with food.
Columbus in this precarious position needed a plan, and consulted the Ephemerides, noting the prediction of a Feb. 29, 1504 lunar eclipse. He then called a meeting with the Jamaican leaders, telling them that if they did not bring food to feed he and his crew that the moon would disappear from the sky on the following night.
Many of the natives did not believe in Columbus's warning. Luckily for Columbus, the Ephemerides prediction proved true, and the full moon was eclipsed "the next night" as Columbus had warned the native leaders, and the moon "disappeared" leaving a red disk in the night sky.
Needless to say this unnerved the natives who supplicated themselves for forgiveness to the arrogant Columbus whom replied that he needed to consult his god.
Returning a half-hour later, the moon fully eclipsed, he informed the Jamaican natives that his prayers being answered, the moon would slowly return.
The day after the natives catered once again to Columbus and his crew until June 29, 1504 when a Spanish ship rescued Columbus and his crew. Here they set sail for Spain ending Columbus's endeavors to the New World.
You can read the full Science News article written by Ivars Peterson by clicking this link>
http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20061007/mathtrek.asp