Trust NASA to have the best equipment for seeing the solar eclipse, right? It’s true though, if you really wanted to see the solar eclipse up front and personal NASA would have been the place to be. Of course they wouldn’t just let anyone in, top security and all, but the pictures below tell a story that’s very impressive when it comes to the solar eclipse that just occurred.
As you might already know a total solar eclipse is when the moon is in perfect alignment with the sun and earth, allowing it to block out the sun and leave on the fiery corona visible for a short time. During that time the sky darkens in a matter of minutes and day seems to turn into night.
It’s not advised to stare at the sun at any point and time thanks to the probability that it could cause permanent damage to the eyes, but through specialized lenses it becomes less of a concern.
Being able to watch the moon “slide” in front of the sun is an interesting and unique sight. It is almost akin to the idea of capping a flashlight with a cover that is too small. The effect is that you block the majority of the light but still leave the corona that can be seen to emit its light from around the edges.
At some points it looks rather eerie as the sun is covered up and effectively hidden away from the world. Ancient civilizations used to take this as an omen, either good or bad, and would affix supernatural meanings to it. In fact some people still believe this way, as it is still a phenomenon that creates a large amount of wonder.
The ghostly look of the sun’s corona is spellbinding as one looks to the heavens with rapt attention. It’s enough to remember that once upon a time our ancient ancestors might have looked upon such a sight and wondered if the gods, or God, had somehow been angered and stolen away the light.
Thanks to modern science we know better now, but the effect is still mesmerizing. Being able to understand the world and all that lies around it has opened humanity’s eyes to the fact that the universe we live in is an amazing place.
The skies turned almost dark as night during the eclipse, but there was light of the kind that once led prophets to foretell of the doom of humanity. Many times ancient cultures would seek to ward against this happening, but obviously now we know a little better. It’s impressive to watch with the right protection, and even more so when you realize how rare it is.
The sun, when seen through a lens that allows one to actually look at it, is a supremely magnificent form, existing in space in a perfect sphere that is surrounded by the swirling, molten surface that can be seen from such a distance. To think that something so large could be hidden away by earth’s moon is a little difficult to believe, but when you gauge the distance and the fact that it depends on where you are in the world it makes a lot more sense.
This is look at the eclipse that is almost haunting. Imagine if the ancients would have been able to see things from this view. The end of the world theories would have flown far and wide at that point for sure.
So it would seem that the next solar eclipse is due around 2024. Most of us should be there to see it.
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