Starship Asterisk*

Nitpicker wrote:

JohnD wrote:No Bailey's Beads at totality, none at all.
Was the Moon at or near perigee? Closer than usual?

John

At the time of totality, the Moon was about 29 hours shy of its perigee and appeared ~1.25 arcmin larger than the Sun.

(Some beads are apparent to me on this page: http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=35703)

JohnD wrote:No Bailey's Beads at totality, none at all.
Was the Moon at or near perigee? Closer than usual?

John

Chris Peterson wrote:

APOD Robot wrote:What a far cry this reaction is from centuries ago, when more typical eclipse reactions derived from fear and worry.

As they still are in some places. It was only 20 years ago when I observed a total solar eclipse in Rajastan, and had to deal with a hotel which encouraged its guests to stay in their rooms, under the covers with the curtains drawn and promised to keep all their food sheltered from the "poisoned rays" of the eclipsed Sun. Had to deal with the difficulty of finding a hired car and driver not afraid of the eclipse. And had the surreal experience of all the village women hidden from sight during the eclipse, with their ululations rising from the dunes around me as totality approached.

rstevenson wrote:

Beyond wrote:That must have been quite an experience! I never knew what the sound a lot of mid-eastern women make when something bad happens, is called a ululation. One learns something new at the Asterisk* almost every day. :yes:

Ululation -- or zaghareet, in Arab regions -- is not always used in bad situations. It is often celebratory, and is used socially, especially but not exclusively, among women.

Chris Peterson wrote:

APOD Robot wrote:
What a far cry this reaction is from centuries ago, when more typical eclipse reactions derived from fear and worry.

As they still are in some places. It was only 20 years ago when I observed a total solar eclipse in Rajastan, and had to deal with a hotel which encouraged its guests to stay in their rooms, under the covers with the curtains drawn and promised to keep all their food sheltered from the "poisoned rays" of the eclipsed Sun. Had to deal with the difficulty of finding a hired car and driver not afraid of the eclipse. And had the surreal experience of all the village women hidden from sight during the eclipse, with their ululations rising from the dunes around me as totality approached.

• . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_ecl ... r_24,_1995
  http://www.mreclipse.com/SEreports/TSE1 ... penak.html
  
  Ululation is primarily celebratory & Arab/Muslim :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ululation wrote:
<<Ululation is practiced in certain styles of singing, as well as in communal ritual events, used to express strong emotion. In Arab countries ululation is commonly used to express celebration. It is especially used in West Bengal in India, especially during weddings and other auspicious events.>>

• Could they have been Hindu Mantras instead

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rahu wrote:

[img3="Mantras linked with Rahu include
"Om Rang Rahuve Namah Om",
"Om Dhoom Raam Rahave Namaha", and
"Om Bhram Bhreem Bhroum Sah Rahave Namah"."]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... ailand.JPG[/img3]

<<In Hindu tradition, Rahu is the severed head of a demon called Svarbhānu ("Splendour of Radiance"), that swallows the sun causing eclipses. He is depicted as a serpent with no body riding a chariot drawn by eight black horses. In Vedic astronomy, Rahu is considered to be a rogue planet. Astronomically, Rahu and Ketu denote the points of intersection of the paths of the Sun and the Moon as they move on the celestial sphere. Therefore, Rahu and Ketu are respectively called the north and the south lunar nodes. The fact that eclipses occur when the Sun and the Moon are at one of these points gives rise to the myth of the swallowing of the Sun and the Moon by the demon snake.

According to legend the Svarbhānu drank some "immortal nectar". When the Sun and the Moon realized it, they alerted Mohini, the female avatar of Vishnu. Mohini cut off Svarbhānu's head before the nectar could pass his throat. The head, however, remained immortal and became Rahu. It is believed that this immortal head from time to time, swallows the Sun, causing eclipses. Then, the sun passes through the opening at the neck, ending the eclipse. The body also turned into Ketu due to a boon, and it in turn, swallows the Moon on timely basis to cause a lunar eclipse.

Rahu does his best to plunge any area of life he controls into chaos, mystery, and cruelty. He is associated with the world of material manifestation and worldly desire, as well as random, uncontrolled growth without wisdom or understanding. It is a legendary master of deception who signifies cheaters, pleasure seekers, operators in foreign lands, drug dealers, poison dealers, insincere and immoral acts.>>

Beyond wrote:That must have been quite an experience! I never knew what the sound a lot of mid-eastern women make when something bad happens, is called a ululation. One learns something new at the Asterisk* almost every day.

Chris Peterson wrote:

APOD Robot wrote:What a far cry this reaction is from centuries ago, when more typical eclipse reactions derived from fear and worry.

As they still are in some places. It was only 20 years ago when I observed a total solar eclipse in Rajastan, and had to deal with a hotel which encouraged its guests to stay in their rooms, under the covers with the curtains drawn and promised to keep all their food sheltered from the "poisoned rays" of the eclipsed Sun. Had to deal with the difficulty of finding a hired car and driver not afraid of the eclipse. And had the surreal experience of all the village women hidden from sight during the eclipse, with their ululations rising from the dunes around me as totality approached.

APOD Robot wrote:What a far cry this reaction is from centuries ago, when more typical eclipse reactions derived from fear and worry.

Bric wrote:In the DISCOVR video of the moon's shadow crossing the Earth, why is the shadow so diffuse? I understand the Earth's atmosphere scatters the light, but that should only be apparent from the ground. From space, it seems that the edges of the moon's shadow should be quite distinct. Or is it just a function of the moon's distance?

Qweenie wrote:I am wondering if the narrowness of the corona show here is an artifact of the photography or if it is really reduced compared to previous eclipses. I understand are entering a 'quiet sun' period but it's early in this part of the solar cycle.