At about 1:10 (Eastern) time there will be a solar eclipse. We won’t see it here in the US. You have to be south of the equator to see it. Easter Island is reportedly the best place to see it. Interestingly enough the eclipse of the sun only lasts about 20 minutes. But the time leading up to and away from it is neat to watch too (as long as you have eye protection) , that is the part that takes a little over 4 ½ hours.
We, 21st centurions, enjoy and look forward to eclipses. Hundreds of years ago, eclipses were bad omens. The general population did not know when they were to happen or how long the ‘darkness’ would end. What did people think then? They are going about their business , yeah, it’s noonish, the light slowly gets dimmer, so slow that most may not notice it until the sun is nearly blocked out by the moon. People look up just in time to see the last sliver of the sun slip behind the unknown black disk. It can’t be the moon, for the moon is a bright glowing white in the night sky. What is it?
I can’t imagine not knowing what is going on. Not being able to go to someone or somewhere (library, books, Internet, etc) to find out what is going on. What else is “out there” that is unknown? I don’t know. I hope, that if there is something out there that we discover and do not know what it is or why it is happening, that I, that we Earthlings, do not greet it with fear and hate of the unknown as many did “in the dark ages”. I hope our age of enlightenment is not and eclipse of the dark ages. That we do not slip back into that pattern of living.
I think today between 1 and 6 today (and specifically around 3:30) I will look up at the sun and see what I can see, or not see.
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