Yes today we are destined to see a show thats never gonna be publicised too much cause no ones going to make any money out of it. A celestial show where the moon decides to step between the sun and the earth, its not rare that the moon decides to do that. It seems there are at least two to up to five solar eclipses that occur every year on earth. We do not tend to see them as they occur mostly around uninhabited places.

Although today the spectacle is offered free of cost by the creator, it may cost you some time but does that really exist? Perhaps not if you a time traveller, here’s something of interest, Solar eclipses illustrate the happy coincidence that while the Sun is 400 times the diameter of the Moon, it is also 400 times farther away giving the Sun and Moon exactly the same angular size.

Superstitions Related to Solar Eclipses:There are superstitions around the world that are related to Solar Eclipses, well wind up at India but lets look too the west first. A pregnant women should not go outside during an eclipse, and should fasten a safety pin under their shirt above their belly, so that their child would not be born with a cleft lip.During eclipses, expectant mothers from Mexico and some other parts of Latin America frequently wear bright red panties with a safety pin tucked through them, the result of a tradition dating back to Aztec and Mayan days. It seems those tribes belived that the eclipse released energy that could cause birth defects and to ward off its power, pregnant women would step outside only if they tied a red string around their waists with an arrowhead attached to it. As superstition gave way to comfort, the string and arrowhead evolved into a pair of red panties with a safety pin attached.

The ancient Chinese believed that a dragon trying to swallow the Sun, to this day, a solar eclipse is “resh” or “Sun-eat” for them. The Chinese would shoot fireworks and bang gongs to scare the dragon away if they know a solar eclipse is coming it seems.

In India that all cooked food left uneaten during an eclipse becomes impure as without the sun light the number of germs increase, well this is not as funny as an astrologer called Anita Nigam, says that the consequences of this Solar Eclipse will not be good. There may be heavy rain falls, landslides and thunderstorms. Coastal region will be highly affected. The film industry, music world, highly reputed capitalist, top level of Government officials and Sensex may also be affected. She also states that the solar eclipse will affect even the common people. I do hope you had a good laugh with that one.

(The funny part is since its the monsoon season its pretty easy to predict heavy rains, landslides and thunderstorms. The costal region is always effected during the monsoon. I had a good laugh reading that)

The solar eclipse today August 2008, will begin around 16.03 and will hit its peak at 17.02, its a bright and sunny day so far and it will continue to stay that way so all of us can see the forces of nature at play. Don’t forget that looking directly at the sun is not recommended so you know what to do, put on your shades to hide your glazed eyes! Do make it for the show the skies are open today, if you miss it the next ones in 2017 have fun waiting!

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Tags: Astronomy, Nature, Solar Eclipse