(OPINION) Express – Christopher Columbus made a prediction more than 500 years ago that the Moon would turn blood red as a warning of God’s “wrath” after the explorer found himself stranded.
The Italian completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean, opening the way for European exploration and colonization of the Americas. His expeditions, sponsored by the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, were the first European contact with the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.
But the navigator got himself in a spot of bother in 1503 when an epidemic of shipworms ate through the planking of his fleet. Columbus was forced to abandon two of his ships and finally had to beach his last two on the north coast of the island that is now Jamaica. Initially, the native Arawak Indians welcomed the castaways, providing them with food and shelter, but soon tensions mounted.
Finally, after being stranded for more than six months, half of Columbus’ crew apparently mutinied and started stealing and attacking the locals as food supplies ran scarce. With the threat of famine and his own life on the line, Columbus formulated a desperate, albeit ingenious plan.
Years earlier German mathematician and astronomer Johannes Muller von Konigsberg had published a series of astronomical tables covering the years 1475-1506. This provided detailed information about the Sun, Moon, and planets, as well as the more important stars and constellations to navigate by – allowing sailors to explore more adventurous routes. READ MORE
