It’s something a lot of people get all worked up about and eagerly await even though it lasts only 2 to 4 minutes at best.
But this is a family newspaper, so let’s talk instead about solar eclipses, which exhibit the same characteristics.
Monday’s total solar eclipse will be visible along a narrow “track of totality” stretching from Texas to Maine during the mid-day hours. That means a sliver of the sun will still be visible here in the Golden Triangle when the eclipse is at its peak around 1:57 p.m. How good a look we will get depends on the weather, which isn’t very promising. The forecast is mostly cloudy with rain during the afternoon.
You might be surprised to know that most years have two solar eclipses, but those eclipses aren’t visible everywhere. Here in the U.S., Monday’s eclipse will be the second visible solar eclipse since 2017. Until then, it had been 38 years since Americans were able to see a solar eclipse. It will be 20 years before we see another in North America.
Technically, a solar eclipse occurs when the moon is directly between Earth and the Sun. You can also think of it as the Moon photobombing the Sun, if you like things stated in the simplest terms.
Every time there is a solar eclipse in the U.S., thousands of people travel to some point along the path of totality to enjoy the full effect. Some cities along that path expect their populations to double or triple on Monday, putting a strain on services such as hospitals and law enforcement. Four states are urging citizens to stock up on groceries and gas and fill medical prescriptions in the days leading up to the eclipse when traffic threatens to overwhelm roadways.
That said, most Americans will take it in stride.
Still, there is something about solar eclipses that fires in imagination. Solar eclipses have been a plot device in a host of novels, including Mark Twain’s “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” and Stephen King’s companion novels, “Gerald’s Game” and “Dolores Claiborne.”
None of that compares to the excitement solar eclipses generated in ancient times, when eclipses were either seen as impending doom or celestial omens. Of course, the surest way to spoil anything is to have it explained to you, and by the Middle Ages mathematicians were able to reliably predict eclipses.
But let’s not underrate the effect solar eclipses can have in our time.
Many a scientist can trace his/her love of science not from the classroom, but from a childhood observation of the wonders of the natural world. There’s a pretty good chance some kids will watch Monday’s eclipse and be similarly inspired to a career in science. We devote a lot of attention to STEM education these days. The solar eclipse is Mother Nature’s contribution to the lesson plan.
For us non-scientists, the eclipse is a reminder of the vastness of the universe and the wonders it holds.
Since time immemorial, mankind has looked to the skies with wonder and curiosity.
The solar eclipse is but one of the phenomenal shows our cosmos provides us. Any night sky, viewed somewhere far from the lights of a city, are breath-taking spectacles.
So if it rains or you miss Monday’s eclipse, there are plenty of other opportunities to take in a good cosmic show.
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 40 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
