"Eventually, magnification becomes blurry and useless. This next image, for example," Barkwit quickly removed the top board to reveal another beneath it, "is about as close as we can get to the Earth's surface before we start losing definition. I surmise this is approximate to a snap shot about four hundred miles above sea level. If you look carefully, you can see the outline of the Iberian Peninsula. And here," Barkwit pointed with his finger, "is Lisbon. Why Lisbon, you might ask. Well, it is a matter of historical fact that the great earthquake and tsunami of January 26, 1531, took place during a total solar eclipse. Imagine the dual source of terror. People believed it was the end of the world, the sun going dark at midday, buildings collapsing amid the roar of grinding earthen plates
