Eclipses in the Aztec Codices

TL;DR

This paper compiles and analyzes Aztec eclipse accounts from 1300-1550 AD, revealing their limited astronomical understanding and cultural significance compared to Old World civilizations.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive list of Aztec eclipse records and contextualizes their cultural perception of eclipses and celestial phenomena.

Findings

Aztec records of 23 eclipses, mostly large magnitude

Limited understanding of eclipse causes among Aztecs

Misinterpretation of Moctezuma II's comet legend

Abstract

This paper centers on the collection of accounts on solar eclipses from the era of the Aztecs in Mesoamerica, about 1300 to 1550 AD. We present a list of all eclipse events complying with the topological visibility from the capital Tenochtitlan. Forty records of 23 eclipses entered the various Aztec manuscripts (codices), usually those of large magnitude. Each event is discussed with regard to its historical context, as we try to comprehend the importance the Aztecs gave to the phenomenon. It seems that this culture paid noticeably less attention to eclipses than the civilisations in the "Old World". People did not understand the cause of it and did not care as much about astronomy as in Babylonia and ancient China. Furthermore, we discuss the legend on the comet of Moctezuma II. It turns out that the post-conquest writers misconceived what the sighting was meant to be.