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Total solar eclipse in August 2017 as seen from Madras, Oregon. On Monday, people will look up again to see a rare event that has fascinated people since time immemorial.
Rob Kahl/AFP via Getty Images
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Rob Kahl/AFP via Getty Images
Total solar eclipse in August 2017 as seen from Madras, Oregon. On Monday, people will look up again to see a rare event that has fascinated people since time immemorial.
Rob Kahl/AFP via Getty Images
Tomorrow, a major solar eclipse will sweep across North America, leaving millions of people in total darkness.
Even though at this point we know exactly what’s going on, the moon passes in front of the sun and casts a shadow on Earth, it’s an eerie and mysterious experience.
But imagine you lived in the ancient world. Then, without warning, a solar eclipse occurred, and the sun’s disk suddenly disappeared, leaving the day dark and cool. Naturally, solar eclipses were often considered a bad omen.
That was also true of Mesopotamia, the region that today includes Iraq, Syria, Kuwait, and Turkey. But still, ancient Mesopotamian astronomers were looking for an alternative explanation.
Viewing a solar eclipse is one of humanity’s oldest rituals and has inspired scientists since time immemorial.
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This episode was produced by Avery Keatley and edited by Courtney Dorning. The executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
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