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Solar Eclipse Countdown Day 3: Eclipse Pop Culture

 Today’s topic is Eclipse Pop Culture (4/4/24)


Books:

Lots of books feature eclipses. Here are some of the ones that I have read.

  • A Connecticut Yankee in King Author’s Court by Mark Twain

    • A man from modern day (19th Century) America ends up in the Arthurian legend. He uses his knowledge of the date of an eclipse to set himself up as a “magician” to rival Merlin.

  • Nightfall by Isaac Asimov

    • Originally a short story, later changed into a novel. Explores what happens when a society in perpetual sunlight experiences an eclipse and therefore darkness for the first time in thousands of years (hint: it’s not good).

  • A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson

    • An eclipse occurs during the “Last Battle” in The Wheel of Time series. The books are far different (and superior) to Amazon Prime’s series.


Movies:

Due to copyright reasons, I can’t provide clips. You can find most of these through streaming services.

  • 2001: A Space Odyssey

    • There’s an eclipse during the “Dawn of Man” scene. I must admit, I’ve never really understood this movie

  • Fantasia

    • An eclipse accompanies the death of the dinosaurs during the Rite of Spring scene.

  • Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

    • The Death Star eclipses the sun before firing on Jedha.


Music:

I couldn’t really find any songs about literal eclipses. They all just use the image metaphorically.


Art:

Artists have attempted to represent an eclipse in various ways through the ages.

  • Eclipse of the Sun I by Roy Lichtenstein

  • Dionysius the Areopagite Converting the Pagan Philosophers by Antoine Caron


  • The Eclipse by Alma Thomas

  • Triptych by Howard Russel Butler


Countdown:

  • 4 Days to Eclipse

  • Eclipse Start: 12:17 

  • Totality Start: 1:35

  • Totality End: 1:39

  • Eclipse End: 2:58

Current Forecast: The storms might push off until later in the day. The clouds are still predicted to be there. However, some types of clouds can dissipate because of an eclipse, so it might be okay.

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