When Zeus Made Night from Midday

Mercury, March/April 2006 Table of Contents

by Lou Mayo

The world and Universe as we know them are forever present. The stars will always shine, and the Sun will always rise. Generations will be born and will die and still the world and Universe will endure. But sprinkle uncertainty into this grand mix—as might occur when something as profound as total solar eclipse occurs—and you have pretty unsettling situation.

Actually, most changes in the heavens, the realm of gods who determined individual and societal destinies, have for the majority of human history been met with fear and trepidation. Meteor showers, lunar eclipses, comets—all have been viewed as bad omens, at best, and the end of all things or Armageddon, at worst. All of these events rocked our collective sense of security and certainty about Nature around us and were very scary.

Solar eclipses were by all accounts events of wondrous and magical proportions. Today, of course, we understand eclipses very well. We know how and why they happen and when they happen. We have seen eclipses from other worlds. We have even used eclipses to probe the laws of physics and to discover new worlds outside the Solar System. Still, eclipses of the Sun hold their ancient magic and are fascinating to watch.

Such is the case for the next solar eclipse visible on our planet. The eclipse of 29 March 2006 will be viewed in its partial phases over a large part of Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

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