The Moon was orange in parts, reddish in others: Caldas on the total lunar eclipse of 9 May 1808

Semanario del Nuevo Reyno de Granada, 1808: 'Observation of the total eclipse of the Moon of 9 May 1808, made at the Astronomical Observatory of Santa Fe de Bogota by Francisco Jose de Caldas. The colour of the Moon was orange in parts, reddish in others, and in others a deeper darkness.' The next night he saw Jupiter's bands and moons 'with the greatest clarity' through a light veil. This is a normal, healthy eclipse seven months before the eruption, observed by the same man with the same telescope who later described the silver sun. It is our 'before' picture.