So, yesterday was a total solar eclipse here in Central Ohio. With a mere 14 mile trek we were able to actually view the eclipse in totality. It was really indescribable. The colors created were different, the quality of the air felt different, seeing the Sun, the Moon, Venus, and Saturn in the day-time sky was really bizarre. All in all, pretty surreal. So I asked my new besties Chad (ChatGPT) and Bart (Gemini, nee Bart) to ask me some questions about the solar eclipse. (if anyone wants to see the prompt, let me know. I used the same prompt for Chad and Bart, with mixed results. I ended up using 9 chad questions and 8 Bart questions… where did the last questions come from? I will never tell….)
Let’s get to the questions:
1. Imagine a world where eclipses happened every week. How do you think it would affect human culture and mythology?
There would definitely be more of a ritual associated with the eclipse then. It wouldn’t feel random and would therefore be expected and ritualized, it would still be special to see the totality, but it would not be rare.
2. We all know not to look directly at the sun. But what would ACTUALLY happen if you did for a brief moment during an eclipse?
You could get a small burn on your retina causing you to have a “floater” dot in your vision. Everyone has minor defects and blemishes in the retina that could cause naturally occurring “floaters,” but your brain processes the image information and removes the floaters from your perceived image. Pending on the severity of the burn caused by staring into the eclipse, your brain might not be able to remove the spot from your perception, and you would potentially have a permanent blind spot in your eyes.
3. Have there been any historical events significantly impacted by a solar eclipse?
There were certainly responses to eclipses as bad omens, but I could not find any easily researchable instances where an eclipse, say, made a naval fleet go back to port, or stopped an army from invading. Lots of consequence correlating though. Eclipse happens, army loses battlethey feel they shouldn’t have, advisors say, “must have been the eclipse,” and ruler beheads advisor for not warning about the bad omen.
4. If animals can predict earthquakes, do any creatures exhibit strange behavior during eclipses?
Nothing super strange, birds start doing their nighttime calls and bats think it is nightime. That’s the only freakiness I saw as far as animal behavior.
5. Do you think there's any truth to the idea that eclipses bring bad luck or misfortune?
If you believe in luck and misfortune, sure… everything can bring luck or misfortune, if those forces exist… the issue with luck and misfortune is that my good luck could be someone’s misfortune and vice versa, because luck and misfortune are cultural constructs and not universal.
6. Imagine a future where humanity can travel freely to space. How do you think eclipses would be viewed from the Moon or Mars? If you could witness a solar eclipse from anywhere in the universe, where would you choose and why?
The solar eclipse on the earth is very unique. Nowhere else in the solar system (to my knowledge or internet search capabilities) has the very specific size relationship of the Sun and Moon. The Moon is 400 times smaller than the sun, but happens to be 400 times closer… that is not a usual thing.
7. What's the one piece of advice you'd give to someone who wants to photograph their first solar eclipse?
Until the totality, it is really bright, so you will need a filter. The sun is actually is surprisingly small (because the sun and the moon are really pretty small in the sky) so you really need a good optical lens, and your phone is not capable enough. I didn’t have that.
8.. Rank the following from easiest to hardest to understand: lunar eclipse, solar eclipse, the life cycle of a butterfly, how microwave ovens work, quadratic equations, how to make a souffle.
Life cycle of a butterfly
Lunar eclipse
Solar eclipse
Quadratic equations
How to make a souffle
How microwave ovens work
9. Is Eclipse gum worth it?
Gods no! Yuck.
10. Besides the awe-inspiring darkness, what other sensory details would surprise someone experiencing their first total eclipse?
How much the temperature dips and how the wind picks up.
11. Where were you during the last total solar eclipse, and what was your experience like?
In 2017, I was on the roof of a parking garage with some coworkers. It was a good day.
12. Have you ever traveled specifically to witness a solar eclipse? If so, where did you go and was it worth it?
14 miles, that took 50 minutes (it usually takes 20 minutes), that being said, after seeing it, it would travel to see another one if it was within reason.
13. Can you share any interesting myths or folklore related to solar eclipses? How do solar eclipses influence astrology and beliefs in celestial events?
Pretty much every tradition and mythos has a story concerning the hows and whys of the solar eclipse.Typically it is some celestial animal eating the sun… Sometimes it is a frog eating the sun, sometimes it is a snake, a dragon, a boar, etc…. Otherwise it is a battle between the sun and moon deities/brothers/siblings/chariots.
14. Have you ever witnessed a "ring of fire" solar eclipse, and if so, how does it compare to a total solar eclipse?
The “Ring of Fire” eclipse and a “total eclipse” share the same mechanics… Moon passes directly in front of the sun. The difference is that in a Ring of Fire eclipse, the moon is at its farthest point away from the earth and therefore does not completely block the sun, causing a ring of fire instead of blotting out the sun and allowing us to see the corona. Ring of Fire is still amazing, but less surprising than a total one
15. Do solar eclipses hold any personal significance or symbolism for you?
Not especially.
16. Are there any superstitions or taboos associated with witnessing or experiencing a solar eclipse in certain cultures?
There is the traditional superstitions of an eclipse being a generic bad omen, but I haven’t really found any modern superstitions about a solar eclipse. The only one I could find that seems to have any traction is that solar radiation during a solar eclipse is stronger and different than usual. Not true, same kinds of radiation, people just don’t usually stare into the sun for no reason.
17. Have you ever attempted to photograph a solar eclipse, and if so, what equipment did you use and what were the results?
I did take a pic with my phone, but the it did not turn out great.
18. Do solar eclipses have any effects on weather patterns or atmospheric conditions?
Like large scale effects? Not particularly. The shadow moving across the Earth does not stay in one place long enough to create and altered weather pattern.
19. What emotions or sensations do you experience during a solar eclipse, if any?
The eclipse, more than anything else in my life, has made me realize that I am in a solar system and greater universe. You get to see orbital mechanics in action.
20. How do solar eclipses influence scientific research and understanding of the universe?
It’s all about the corona, baby. Solar eclipses made us aware of the outer portions of the sun before we sent anything into space.
To recap:
the solar eclipse was really awe inspiring
10 out of 10
Would watch again
I still miss you Jared, this celestial event will always remind me of Jared Vorkavich
Such a wonderful man, who left too soon
Still jobless
I gots a mortgage
It ain’t paying for itself
I need a job
I am a solid UX designer with years of experience in the Fintech space
Hell, if you need an opinion writer… I gots opinions and years of experience opining in a 20 Questions format
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Have a great week everyone