The news article for this paper is an article about the recent solar eclipse that swept across Southeast Asia just this March 9th. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the earth, and the moon fully or partially blocks out the sun. This happens during the new moon stage when the moon and the sun are in “conjunction” (Littman, Espenak and Wilcox, 2008). This most recent eclipse cut across Southeast Asia and the Pacific, and began at about 6:19 am Indonesian time as the moon began to pass directly in front of the sun. The eclipse’s totality (or total darkness) lasted for about three minutes. It is said that Belitung, Indonesia was one of the best places to watch this recent eclipse. People in this area gathered along the beaches to watch the eclipse using special eclipse-viewing glasses. Scientists have advised solar eclipse watchers not to view the eclipse with the naked eye (BBC News, 2016).
While doing some research, there are some interesting facts about solar eclipses. One is that in ancient history, people associated solar eclipses with omens of disasters, or difficult times to come. The ancient Greek historian Herodotus took note of such an eclipse that occurred in 585 BC resulted in the end of the war between the Lydians and the Medes. It is said from the accounts that the fighting came to an end immediately, and that the two sides agreed to a peace covenant right away (Herodotus, 1998). In the movie Apocalypto, the main character is rescued from being a human sacrifice as a total solar eclipse has occurred. It is as if the solar eclipse foreshadowed something positive instead of a negative event. In ancient times, people feared the occurrence of a solar eclipse, as they felt that it was as if the end of the world had arrived already.
The news of a solar eclipse is interesting indeed because it is a rare event, and there are times that totality occurs in the middle of the ocean where no one can view and enjoy it. Also, the sense of enjoying sunlight and brightness only to have it blocked out is quite thrilling. I was able to talk to an elderly Asian man who witnessed this kind of event in the 1950s, and he said that it was quite frightening then. All the older people suddenly began to pray, since there was no pre-notification that was done to announce the coming of the eclipse, and to make everyone ready to view it. He said that he was a young man then, and so he too, was quite afraid because all the dogs in the neighborhood began to bark, and his pet pigeons were suddenly restless and frisky in their cages. There were older people who thought that the end of the world had come. It was a relief when the sun finally came out again, and he laughs when he recalls that the roosters started crowing again, as if it was at the crack of dawn again.
The event of a solar eclipse does bring up all sorts of experiences. In the ancient times, it was considered to be an omen of sorts. Even up to the middle of the 20th century, people were afraid of the eclipse. However, with the advances in technologies in communication and astronomy, people have become more informed about why a solar eclipse occurs and what transpires during one. People have come to enjoy watching this interaction between two heavenly bodies, and there are those who say that the peace that one feels during totality is unique and different. It will be wonderful to view one in totality if one had the opportunity to do so.
References
BBC News. 2016. Total Eclipse: Indonesia Witnesses Totality as Sun is Blocked by Moon. Retrieved from: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-35756955
Herodotus. The Histories. Translated by R. Waterfield. NY: Oxford University Press.
Littman, M., Espenak, F. and Wilcox, K. 2008. Totality: Eclipses of the Sun. NY: Oxford University Press.
