A partial lunar eclipse occurred on 22 May 1453.

Observations

It was seen during the Fall of Constantinople (the capture of the capital of the

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

), during the siege that lasted from Thursday, 5 April 1453 until Tuesday, 29 May 1453), after which the city fell to the Ottomans. The lunar eclipse was considered to be fulfilling a prophecy for the city's demise, which says a blood moon took place during the eclipse.

Visibility

The partial eclipse was visible from

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and

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References

NASA: Lunar Eclipses of Historical Interest

NASA graphics

External links

www.economist.com The fall of Constantinople, Dec 23rd 1999

www.wordinfo.info: A Lunar Eclipse that Contributed to the Fall of Constantinople
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lunar eclipse 1453-05 1453-05 1453 15th century in science