The Eclipse That Halley Predicted
In 1715, Edmond Halley printed a map showing exactly where the Moon's shadow would cross England, so that people wouldn't panic when the Sun went out.
What was reported
Before a total eclipse of the Sun on 3 May 1715, the astronomer Edmond Halley published a map showing the path the Moon's shadow would take across England, the first map of its kind. He wanted people to know it was coming, so that they wouldn't see it as an omen or a sign of disaster, and he asked observers across the country to send him reports.
When the day came, the eclipse passed over London at about nine in the morning, and the city went dark for more than three minutes.
Explanations offered
Halley's prediction of the shadow's path, using Newton's laws, was accurate to about 30 kilometres. His map, with its message about not fearing the eclipse as a sign, marked a change in how people understood such events.
- When
- 3 May 1715
- Where
- London, England, UK
- Witnesses
- Edmond Halley and observers across England
- Status
- Confirmed
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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