Podcaster: Nancy Alima Ali
Title: Cultural Astronomy – Solar Eclipses
Organization: Multiverse, Space Sciences Lab, University of California at Berkeley
Links: http://multiverse.ssl.berkeley.edu/, http://www.astroalima.com
Description: On the day of a partial solar eclipse, this podcast explores cultural perspectives of eclipses. Take an around-the-world tour to discover how people throughout time and across cultures have predicted and responded to solar eclipses.
Bio: Nancy Alima Ali, M.Ed., is a Coordinator of Public Programs at Multiverse at the Space Sciences Lab at the University of California, Berkeley. For over 15 years, Ms. Ali has been active in both formal and informal education as a classroom teacher, college instructor, museum educator, curriculum developer and program manager. Ms. Ali has a particular interest in exploring the ways in which multiple worldviews contribute to our understanding of the cosmos. She blogs about the intersection of astronomy and culture at www.astroalima.com.
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Transcript:
Hello everyone, this is Nancy Alima Ali coming to you from the Space Sciences Lab at UC Berkeley in Sunny California. Today, October 23, 2014, is a special day because there is a partial solar eclipse that is visible across much of North America and the north Pacific region.
There is lots of information all over the internet about what solar eclipses are and how to safely observe them, so I’m not going to talk about that. If you need more information, check out www.mreclipse.com. Instead of focusing on the science behind eclipses, I’d like to explore eclipses from cultural perspectives.
Eclipse Predictions
Some of the earliestrecords of observing and predicting eclipses come from Shang Dynasty China, as early as the 14th century BC. China was ruled by emperors during this time period, and the emperor was associated with the heavens. Well, if you are telling people that you have a special relationship with the sky, it becomes pretty important to be able to predict anything that might be perceived as threatening celestial order.
And what could be more threatening than the Sun going black? Imagine if you didn’t know in advance that the Sun would be eclipsed. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, in the middle of the day, the sky darkens and the Sun disappears. Holy you-know-what! This is NOT good news, man.
Nowadays, many people have some understanding of what causes an eclipse, and if they don’t, then they probably know that scientists have figured it out a rational explanation for eclipses. But back then, people didn’t know the whys and hows of eclipses and they didn’t really have a way to find out. They couldn’t just get on the internet and Google “Why is the Sun going dark?”
But there was one person who was supposed to have the answer and that was the emperor. The emperor’s ability to predict eclipses was taken very seriously because it was a sign of his right relationship with the cosmos.
Now, of course, no one can be expected to be an expert on everything, so the emperor would delegate the task of keeping track of the sky to specialists who were a combination of what we think of today as astronomers and astrologers. These were people whose job it was to observe the motions of the Sun, Moon, stars and planets, including making predictions about when eclipses might occur. Fortunately for them, eclipses occur in somewhat regular patterns that can be tracked over a long period of time. This allowed them to develop codified systems of predicting solar and lunar eclipses.
However, no system is perfect and sometimes they made mistakes. If the astronomer predicted an eclipse that did not happen, it was considered a warning and no harm done. All good, no error. But if an astronomer didn’t predict an eclipse that DID happen, well…let’s just say they probably lost their job.
Attempts to predict eclipses are not unique to China. Stonehenge, the great megalithic stone circle in England, may have included a system for warning about eclipses. Part of Stonehenge’s design includes an outer ring of chalk-filled holes called the Aubrey Holes. Archaeoastronomers today speculate that these holes may have been used as a kind of abacus. The theory is that six different types of stones would be placed in the holes and advanced one hole each year. When a stone of a particular type fell into specific holes, a solar or lunar eclipse may occur.
Eclipse Responses
Predicted or not, once an eclipse is in progress, people are gonna look at it and they are gonna have a response to it. And if you don’t know what is happening – or even if you do – it is only human nature to make up a story to explain it.
Not surprisingly, many of the stories about solar eclipses from around the world involve the Sun being eaten by a creature. This makes perfect sense since the Earth observer sees a dark bite taken out of the Sun during a partial solar eclipse until the whole Sun appears to be devoured during the totality phase of the eclipse. In Hungary, people say a giant bird or snake is eating the Sun. In Korea, there is a story that describes a dog who is sent to steal the Sun and catches it in his jaws.
A common reaction to such a threat was to try to scare off the animal. Wailing, shouting, throwing stones at the Sun, beating on drums or other objects are all ways of trying to bring the Sun back. However, in some places an opposite response may be advised. In India, people sometimes choose to stay inside and not look at the Sun.
Not all stories about solar eclipses involve conflict or fear though. Australian aborigines describe the Moon and Sun as husband and wife. A solar eclipse provides some private time for the two of them to get together and enjoy some intimacy without being seen by others.
Modern astronomers tell us a story explaining eclipses using geometry, size and distance. From a scientific point-of-view, there is little mystery about the whens and hows of eclipses. But even when you know exactly when and where an eclipse will take place, it is still an awe-inspiring event.
Whether they are solar or lunar, eclipses are a great opportunity for people to deepen or rekindle a sense of awe about the universe. Either individually or with others, we can take a moment to pause from our busy lives to gaze at the sky and reconnect with the natural world. It is a chance to remember that we are a part of something larger than ourselves, part of a Solar System. During solar eclipses, we are both participants and audience members in the dance between Sun, Moon and Earth.
Well, folks, that’s it for today. This is Nancy Alima Ali, here to remind you that we all share the same universe. Thanks for listening!
End of podcast:
365 Days of Astronomy
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