Miracles of Nature - An experience called The Solar Eclipse

We all from school times knew what a solar eclipse meant and also scientifically why it occured. But nowadays a day of an eclipse is just like any other. Nobody believes in not eating or not going out in the sun during an eclipse.

Today was supposedly the longest solar eclipse of the millenium.


We went to the terrace of the Physics Department and watched the mighty sun trying to hide behind the moon for more than an hour. Too bad it was only partial this time.
There were quite a lot of enthusiasts out there; faculty, scholars, students, family and children.
We saw the eclipse through aluminium sheets, X-ray films, the image through a convex lens and holes pricked on a cardboard box.


Then we were told that the rays that escaped between the leaves of trees also looked curved like what was left of the sun. Then Saf and I kept taking pictures of it. If we were at home or elsewhere everyone would have ignored us for being crazy but here at the IIT and particularly at the Physics Department two Profs who noticed us observing these images enthusiastically told us where we would be able to see them much better. This is what I love about this place.

I was never much of a nature lover. But these little things are just so much fun.


I remember when I first saw an eclipse. Chech (my eldest sister) took all of us to the terrace of my uncle's place and held up two X-ray films and showed us the sun. I still remember how terrified I was when she said that I shouldn't look up with naked eyes cause I could even lose my eyesight. I kept wondering how safe it was for all of us to just stand there (After all the sun looked at us even though we didn't look at it. [I'm just weird]). I being very imaginative started thinking that I'd end up getting sick. Well, this happened in the last century so I've matured now.

Comments

  1. ~ Aswathy ~January 17, 2010 at 8:28 PM

    Yes,I too remember that evening..
    hmmm... Good Old Days :)

    ReplyDelete

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