Eclipse Facts

What you don't know about an eclipse

Today we’re getting a total eclipse in much of America (and I’m going to go try and see it if clouds don’t get in the way). So what is an eclipse? Here are some eclipse facts.

Eclipse Facts

• A total eclipse will shroud a certain area of the earth in complete darkness during the middle of the day. It will be at most four minutes, so not long enough for a good nap.

• During an eclipse is the only time the sun is vulnerable to physical damage (not just magical damage).

• The corona is the outermost layer of the sun’s atmosphere and is visible during a total eclipse. It is unknown if it can give you coronavirus.

• It is also unknown what happens if you add lime to the corona.

• The reason we get total solar eclipses with a corona is that the sun and the moon are the same apparent size in the sky. God made it that way so He could freak us out every so often making it look like the world ended. “Ha! False alarm… this time.”

• During a total eclipse, it’s safe to look at the sun. Well, maybe it’s safe all the time; I’ve never tried. You go look at the sun and tell me how it goes.

• The first eclipse was discovered by Bob Eclipse, who looked up and went, “Hey, where’d the sun go?”

• The moon is moving away from the earth at about one inch per year, so eventually it will be so far away that it will never be able to block the sun and thus no more total eclipses. That’s not for millions of years, though, so I wouldn’t even worry about it. People don’t even make scifi that takes place that far out.

• A total eclipse’s greatest enemy is clouds.

• An eclipse only happens during a new moon, when the moon goes completely dark for its surprise attack on the sun.

• There are different types of eclipses. Total eclipse is when the sun is completely blocked. Partial eclipse is when the moon just kind of photobombs the sun a little. Annular eclipse is when the moon is in front of the sun but the moon is too small to completely block it because it got cold. It happens.

• It is unknown how often eclipses happen because that would take studying the sun and you can’t because it’s too bright and would hurt your eyes to look at. Scientists study things like lizards instead because those are fine to look at.

• Also, to understand eclipses, we would have to study the moon, but it’s simply too boring to studying because it’s just a big gray rock.

• Solar eclipses were briefly branded eClipse in the late 90s.

• Places that get a total eclipse usually have a large police presence to counter daring heists meant to coincide with the couple of minutes of darkness.

• The total darkness that happens in the middle of the day can be very confusing for animals, so make sure to take time from looking at the eclipse to point and laugh at a dog.

• When the sun turns black for a few minutes, that’s a normal eclipse. When it goes black for days, you’ll need to obtain the four elemental crystals and the Sword of Infinity to defeat the Dark Lord Zorule who has woken from his 1000 year slumber.

Now you know all about eclipses! Happy staring at the sun!