Eclipse Progress

Did you catch the eclipse last Monday? It was wonderful. Here’s a little snap I took of the progress (taken with an iPad camera precariously through the lens of a telescope, pointing out of a bedroom window, so not the best arrangement). One of the striking things about looking at the progress of it is just how extra three-dimensional the moon seems as the earth’s shadow slowly covers it. It really makes one’s whole mind and body latch on to the three dimensional reality of the sky – you really feel it, as opposed to just knowing it in your head. That’s sort of hard to explain – and you’re not going to see it in any photo anyone can show – so I imagine you are not really sure what I’m getting at if you’ve not felt it yourself.

Just keep in mind what I’m saying for the next time you’re looking at something like this. Another time this physical feeling of three-dimensionality gets me (which is more common) is when looking up at the sky when there are several planets visible, and the sun has just set. Then I think about the fact they are all (including the sun, and the rock I’m on) roughly in the same plane… and bang! I get that three-dimensional feeling all over my body again.

-cvj