Bill asked if I wanted to go the Vasona Lake Reservoir on the Los Gatos Creek Trail and I said I was all in. While we didn’t achieve “Totality,” thanks to a thoughtful and kind photographer we met on the way he invited us a see a filtered view of a partial eclipse at around 10:30 AM PST through his camera—set to the proper coordinents—on his tripod. We also got do a 13-mile ride to boot, stopping to see the reservoir that had been totally drained for repairs that made it look Apocalyptic, though the water is slowly being filled to capacity.
While we had a little taste of the eclipse, Bill’s sun Clark who lives in Austin, TX sent him a short video clip of the eclipse that he experienced from his vantage point (see attached).
According to the New York Times, Thales, a Greek philosopher 2,600 years ago, is celebrated for predicting a famous solar eclipse, and in the process discovered what came to be known as the science.
During this same time period an eclipse stopped the a six-year war between the Lydians, and what followed was a peace treaty that was quickly signed.
Humans have always seen solar eclipse as bad omens. For example the Inca civilization (Sun worshipers) believed it was due to the wrath of God. The solution: Human sacrifices.
In Hindu mythology, it was said that a cunning demon disguised in women’s clothing invaded a banquet to drink the nectar of the gods and achieve the state of immortality but was caught and beheaded. The decapitated demon’s head floated across the sky and steered the sun. The ancient Chinese blue celestial dragons were said to be devouring the sun like little Pac-Man. They believed the only way to save it they created a ruckus by banging their drums and yelling at it.
