March
29, 2006, a solar eclipse dazzled over Turkey. A dark orb
hung in the sky haloed in glowing white wisps of solar corona.
Crowds gazing up from the dark shadow of the moon found
the sun blocked from view and cheered at the wondrous sight.
For those who took a moment to glance at the surrounding
ancient ruins and countryside, there was the realization
that a total solar eclipse offers an alternative perception
of the world. For as the moon blocks our vision of the sun,
it also blocks direct light from our star and thereby introduces
us to an image of our world we would not ordinarily see.
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As
the sun slips behind the moon, the light that bathes the
earth is unlike any other. The “normal” color
spectrum, by which we expect to see our world, alters. The
balance between the long lightwaves of red and the short
lightwaves of blue is skewed–blue becomes dominant. |
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Typically
as sunlight grows faint each evening and shadows stretch
ever longer, we expect a reddish tint. The long waves of
red light travel in a straight direction and paint the rosy
hues of sunset and sunrise. They make the world appear warm
and romantic. Blue lightwaves, however, have a tendency
to scatter because they are short in length. As the sun
drops beyond the horizon, we slid momentarily through the
cool blue of twilight. |
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But
a solar eclipse brings a retreat of daylight even at midday.
There are no long shadows. As more and more of the sun’s
direct rays are blocked by the moon, the dispersed short
lightwaves of blue swath the world in alien hues. Gradually,
fine differences in color become more pronounced. In the
Roman theater in Side, near Antalya, Turkey, the subtle
grays and browns in the ruin’s marble friezes became
more distinct and the relief of the sculpture more defined. |
As
more sunlight is lost, a unique opportunity arises to experience
a new perception of the world. The green tones of plants
become more vibrant. Stone and earth, that may have appeared
as mere backdrops, become vivid and alive. The deep blue
of the sea mutes. Human skin tones gray toward paler. The
temperature not only of the light, but also the air, plunges. |
It is easy for humans to lose track of what it is important,
to place emphasis on a few temporary things while life races
past. But during the assent into a total solar eclipse the
familiar illusion of reality transforms, flexes, reaches
beyond itself to another place. What we see changes. How
much we actually perceive depends on the individual, but
the opportunity is there to touch another dimension of being–a
completely different way of perceiving the world. |
What is real? The rich green laurel leaves that I see awash
in blue eclipse light or the laurel leaves I saw two hours
earlier, dulled by the brilliant midday sun. If I close
my eyes and touch the laurel leaf, perhaps my impression
would be completely different. |
The moments we give ourselves to question reality are few.
Perhaps I chase solar eclipses for the opportunity each
of these cosmic events offers, however momentary, to experience
a unique instant of time, place and perception. The eclipse
in Turkey was blue from horizon to horizon because of the
high layer of clouds and the subsequent diffusion of blue
lightwaves. There were no visible stars. There were small,
but brilliant, red solar flares at the positions of 12:00
and 4:30. The atmosphere was buoyant and chaotic because
of the energized crowd in the theater at Side. It was different
from South Australia 2002, Curaçao 1998, and Hawaii
1991. |
Each solar eclipse offers a different view of our tiny planet.
An opportunity to feel the rush of a shadow created by a
perfectly placed moon. The chance to experience the universe
moving forward without regard for humans. Where will you
be in 2008? |
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