The Maya were one of the greatest sky-watching societies in history, with accomplished mathematicians who recorded systematic observations on the motion of celestial bodies. They developed complex calendar systems to regulate their world, aligning monumental structures like pyramids to track solstices and equinoxes. The Dresden Codex, one of the four remaining codices from the Mayan civilization, contains extensive canonical eclipses in tables, demonstrating their advanced knowledge of astronomical phenomena.
A recent study analyzed a datable solar eclipse record from the Stela 3 of Santa Elena Poco Uinic, which was previously considered to be associated with a total solar eclipse on July 16, 790. However, after taking into account the Earth rotation rate (ΔT), it is now believed that this stela probably records a partial solar eclipse of great magnitude (≈0.946) visible under favorable conditions. This finding highlights the importance of considering short-term variations in Earth’s rotation when interpreting historical eclipse records.