n the first to be viewed through a
telescope. The eclipse was only a large partial one. The following
record of the fact is due to Tycho Brahe.[137] "The beginning of the
eclipse of the Moon as observed through the Roman telescope, appeared
like a dark thread in contact with the shadow"--a description which
cannot be said to be unduly explicit.

In 1620, on June 15, there was a total eclipse of the Moon, when during
the total phase "the Moon was seen with great difficulty. It shone,
moreover, like the thinnest nebula, far fainter than the Milky Way,
without any copper tinge. About the middle of the second hour nothing at
all could be seen of the Moon with the naked eye, and through the
telescope so doubtfully was anything seen that no one could tell whether
the Moon was not something else." It is expressly stated, however, that
the sky was quite clear. Kepler also observed this eclipse, and says
that the Moon quite disappeared, though stars of the 4th and 5th
magnitudes were plainly visible.[138] In this same year 1620, there was
on December 9 another total eclipse, when "the Moon altogether
disappeared so that nothing could be seen of it, though the stars shone
brightly all around: she continued lost and invisible for a quarter of
an hour more or less." This observation seems to have been made at
Ingolstadt.

Wendelinus mentions the eclipse of April 14, 1623, in connection with
the question of the visibility of the Moon when totally eclipsed. He
says, "but sometimes it so far retains the light derived from the Sun
that you would doubt whether any part of it were eclipsed." This eclipse
was observed by Gassendi, and if the above record is correct, it is the
more remarkable seeing that the eclipse was not total, only 11/12ths of
the Moon's diameter being obscured.

On April 25, 1642, on the occasion of a total eclipse, Hevelius[139]
noted that the Moon wholly disappeared when immersed in the Earth's
shadow. Crabtree is stated by Flamsteed[140] to have observed this
eclipse, but he does not plainly state that he lost sight of the Moon.
Crabtree or his editor dates this eclipse for April 4; Ferguson for
April 15. There appears to be some muddle as between "old style" and
"new style." Ferguson professing to be N.S. is evidently wrong. Hevelius
gives the double date, 15/25, which is evidently right.

On June 16, 1666, the Moon was seen in Tuscany to rise eclipsed, the Sun
not having yet set in the W.

On May 26, 1668,