Once in a while, something happens that makes us pause and turn away from such purely Earth-based subjects as politics and elections to make us appreciate the majesty of the Universe.
This morning, my kids and I watched a live feed of a total solar eclipse from halfway around the world. Even on a computer screen, watching the Moon slowly cover the Sun and the solar corona shine out in the darkened sky is an awesome experience.
The astronomy behind an eclipse is easy enough to understand - from Earth, the Sun and the Moon appear to be the same size. Every few years, everything lines up so perfectly that the Moon's shadow falls along a narrow path across Earth's surface. Anyone in that path sees the Moon blot out the Sun for a few glorious minutes.
But knowing the science behind an eclipse and actually seeing one, even remotely, are two very different things. Seeing the effect when the sky darkens and the Sun's coronal halo becomes visible is to know that there are greater things in the Universe than our ephemeral squabbles here on Earth.
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