Cabeza de Vaca and the Moon.

This article explores the journey of Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca and his companions in the sixteenth century, as documented in his narrative called Relación. The text focuses on the debate among scholars regarding the route and dates of Cabeza de Vaca's journey, particularly his mention of lunar phases. Astronomers have attempted to determine the year of his escape based on these references, but there is disagreement among experts. The article presents an alternative method of lunar calculation that suggests a different year for Cabeza de Vaca's escape. It also discusses the historical awareness of the differences between ecclesiastical and astronomical lunar phases, leading to the calendar reform of 1582. The author examines the discrepancies between Cabeza de Vaca's dates and the lunar phases recorded in a Church calendar from 1535, suggesting that Cabeza de Vaca had access to this calendar and accurately specified the date of a new Moon in his narrative. However, there are conflicting interpretations of the chronology, with some scholars arguing for a different year of escape. The article concludes that the evidence supports the theory that Cabeza de Vaca was referring to specific dates in 1535. [Extracted from the article]