THALES’S PREDICTION OF A SOLAR ECLIPSE

Abstract

The testimonies from antiquity say that Thales of Miletus predicted a solar eclipse. Many experts claim that the eclipse happened on 5/28/585 BC, and this date is often marked as the beginning of Greek philosophy and science. This prediction of a solar eclipse can be justifiably doubted. However, if it is true that Thales predicted a solar eclipse, the question arises whether he found a way to predict eclipses or was familiar with the astronomy of older civilizations. This article will examine whether Thales predicted a solar eclipse and, if so, what method he used.