Classical Conversations Challenge B
13
October 2021
A Captivating Story, and a Fascinating Man
Benjamin Banneker was an influential person whose informal “Just for fun!” observations changed the way we think about solar eclipses. Unlike many African-American of his time, he was born free. His parents were freed before he was born, giving him the opportunities which he took advantage of to study the solar eclipses. He studied the different parts of the eclipses, the inner corona, the chromosphere, the Baily’s Beads and prominences. He learned about how the sun is 400 times bigger than the moon, yet they seem the same size, due to the fact that the moon is 400 times closer to the sun which causes the solar eclipse. He studied the diamond ring effect, which is created by the solar flares of the sun as the moon comes in front of it, creating brilliances that look like diamonds. Other than that, not much is known about Banneker’s life. He died in his sleep unexpectedly at a young age. Strangely, at his funeral, which was in his front yard, right as it was finishing up, his house was burned down. The cause of this has not been discovered to this day. Because of his influences in the study of solar eclipses and the vagueness of his life, Benjamin Banneker’s captivating story makes him a fascinating man!
Works Cited
“Newton, Sir Isaac.” Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, Jan. 2018, p. 1.
“Benjamin Banneker.” Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 28 Dec. 2020.
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