A rare celestial phenomenon of near-miraculous coincidence of size and distance that the moon appears as exactly the right size to cover the sun so perfectly and reveal the corona. Total eclipses are widely regarded as one of Nature’s greatest spectacles. The chill and sweep of the Moon’s shadow, the sparkle of Bailey’s beads, and the sight of the corona blazing across the darkened daytime sky are life-altering experiences for some observers. If the Moon were slightly smaller than the Sun, the best eclipses would be annular ones with no dramatic corona or blackening of the daytime sky. If the Moon were slightly larger, the full glory of the chromosphere and prominences surrounded by the glowing corona would be lost. Fortunately, the Moon is “just right.” Earth is the only planet in the solar system with spectacular solar eclipses. Thanks to an apparently improbable coincidence, the Sun and the Moon are almost exactly the same size as seen from Earth. The Sun is 400 times larger than the Moon, but it is also 400 times farther away.
2007-04-14 06:31:34 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
There are many spectacles of beauty put in place by God. Nice job of illustrating one of the most awesome.
2007-04-14 06:36:18 · answer #1 · answered by future dr.t (IM) 5 · 2⤊ 3⤋
I would think that because of the distance of the sun to earth , that the size of the sun does not matter. What you are seeing is the moon blocking the view of the sun at just the precise time the moon rotates around the earth blocking the suns light when you have a solar eclipse and a loonier eclipse you are seeing the shadow of the earth blocking the suns light on the moon. All is divinely designed , That is just how it is. How could it be anything else? What is interesting to see is the moon on a lake or river. No matter where you travel on the side of the river, the moon will cast a shine directly at you. It does not stay in one spot. In the eye of the beholder as we view it. You write very nicely. You should write a book! Rev. TomCat
2007-04-14 06:44:30 · answer #2 · answered by Rev. TomCat 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Too bad its still just a weak coincidence.
Too bad it isn't precise. The distance from the Earth to the Sun varies by 3.4%. The distance from the Earth to the Moon varies by 5.5%. That's a fair amount of variability -- up to 8.9% in apparent diameters -- to call precise. The moon has to cross the plane of the Earth's orbit around the Sun, so that's just a coincidence.
I've watched the shadows of Galilean moons sweep across Jupiter. That spectacular. I've watched Galilean moons eclipse each other. They can hit your "perfect" conditions.
You asked it before, and adding additional incorrect statements won't make your question better.
2007-04-14 06:49:54 · answer #3 · answered by novangelis 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
often we look around and see the beauty of Go'd creation, rarely do we look further into is- the precise attention to detail , the elaborate design, make His works of art that much more incredible. We may never know the purpose of this extraordinary event but I believe that God does nothing in vain, just because I don't see it does not mean the purpose is not there.
Not an ounce of man's creativity is his own - there is nothing of poetry and beauty and art that is out that there that was not inspired by God in the first place.
Thank you for sharing some of the intricacies of this marvelous occurance
2007-04-14 07:18:59 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's simply a coincidence, nothing more, nothing less. Why must believers always insist that physical reality exists for their personal spiritual amusement? Yes, total solar eclipses are an awe inspiring spectacle. Can't we just accept the beauty of physical reality without polluting it with superstitous mumbo-jumbo?
2007-04-14 06:51:52 · answer #5 · answered by Diogenes 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
If the moon wasn't there in that exact spot we wouldn't be here to observe it. The only reason it appears that way is because things happend the way they did in order for us to exist, thanks to the moon. If things had not happend the way they did and the moon wasn't "perfect" for us to see that then we may not be here to observe it's "non-beauty". Besides the moon is moving further away from us so in the future the moon will NOT block out the moon totally. So thank god for that, huh?
2007-04-14 06:37:13 · answer #6 · answered by Puggz 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
No. They serve no purpose. According to christians everything by "divine design" supposedly has a purpose. Like the way a banana was perfectly designed to fit into a human hand & be consumed by humans.
What would be the purpose of eclipses?
2007-04-14 06:36:54 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 2⤋
Yes, God set the great bodies in thier orbits. Its called Universal Law.
2007-04-14 06:42:30 · answer #8 · answered by Lukusmcain// 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You have reached a place where God and science merge into art for the soul. Ofcourse you can see God in nature, because your heart is open. To the closed-hearted man, there is never anything or reason to thank God for. Thanks for the post.
2007-04-14 06:45:41 · answer #9 · answered by ignoramus_the_great 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yep... God wanted to scare the dickens out of ignorant peoples thousands of years ago by blotting out the light.
At least these days most of us understand what's going on.
2007-04-14 06:34:58 · answer #10 · answered by ZER0 C00L ••AM••VT•• 7 · 5⤊ 1⤋