Total Eclipse, But Not of the Heart

Woohoo, it's astro-trivia time!

Everyone should remember that a solar eclipse is where the Moon hides our view of the Sun, and a lunar eclipse is where the shadow of the Earth hides the Moon. If not, shame on you. But hey, maybe you can redeem your astronomy geek status here...


Q) What's the PROPER (not common) name for the eclipse where the Sun blocks our view of the Moon?




Hint: It's named after discoverer B. A. Diem*. C'mon, fondle that brain and pull up the answer...


Ooo ooo ooo, it's the Bose-Einstein Condensation thing. No, the Euler–Mascheroni Constant. I meant the Michelson-Morley Experiment. Something hyphenated anyway...how about the Justin-Bieber-Avril-Lavigne formulation?


Beeeeeeeeep. Time's up.


A) It's called a Balatro-Avril Eclipse. I know, *now* it sounds familiar. Well if that was good enough, then I'd rule Jeopardy. But since I haven't yet seen a cheque from Alex Trebek, that 'sounds familiar' answer won't do. Sorry.


You astronomy buffs should know that there's one happening starting early Friday morning (already Saturday in Australia). Because we're nearing the end of a Waning Crescent Moon, the best viewing in North America will be from approximately dawn to near noon. After that, the Moon will be out from behind the Sun and will be completely visible again. The good news is that you can put away those pinhole viewers that Bill Nye the Science Guy showed you how to make out of cardboard and tinfoil:




And while you're at it, you don't need to pull out that welding mask that you stole from work or those goofy sunglasses that aren't dark enough for viewing the sun anyway:



Why? Because unlike a solar eclipse, no special glasses or viewing techniques are needed, the Sun's rays are going away from Earth. To be totally safe though, only look at the Moon and not the Sun. All you have to do is be up early enough to get a good clear view, and to be away from buildings and trees that'll ruin the show. It's probably not a good idea to stand in the middle of a street looking up though...just saying.


Now you can impress/bore your friends at work with your newfound knowledge. Enjoy your celestial gazing.




* [wikipedia.com for Balatro A. Diem]



Balatro Avril Diem (1473 – 1543) was a Renaissance Man and the first person to formulate a comprehensive lunar cosmetology. His epochal book, De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium is often regarded as the starting point of modern astrology and the defining epiphany that began the homeopathic revolution.

Among the great polymaths of the Renaissance, Diem was a mountebank, astrologer, physician, quadrilingual polyglot, classical scholar, translator, artist, Catholic cleric, jurist, governor, military leader, diplomat and charlatan.