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Splendid View Of Eclipse From Orbit Visualized And Repurposed By Arthur C. Clarke

An amazing view of the solar eclipse from orbit!

Arthur C. Clarke gave a beautiful description of this event, but in a totally different context, in Childhood's End:

There had also been some passive resistance to the policy of the Overlords. Usually, Karellen had been able to deal with it by letting those concerned have their own way, until they had discovered that they were only hurting themselves by their refusal to co-operate. Only once had he taken any direct action against a recalcitrant government.

For more than a hundred years, the Republic of South Africa had been the centre of social strife... When it became clear that no attempt would be made to end discrimination, Karellen gave his warning. It merely named a date and time-no more. There was apprehension, but little fear or panic, for no-one believed that the Overlords would take any violent or destructive action which would involve innocent and guilty alike.

Nor did they. All that happened was that as the sun passed the meridian at Cape Town-it went out. There remained visible merely a pale, purple ghost, giving no heat or light. Somehow, out in space, the light of the sun had been polarized by two crossed fields so that no radiation could pass. The area affected was five hundred kilometres across, and perfectly circular.

The demonstration lasted thirty minutes. It was sufficient: the next day the Government of South Africa announced that full civil rights would be restored to the white minority.

(Read more about the sunlight blocker)

As for myself, I observed the eclipse from the Indianapolis Speedway.

Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 4/12/2024)

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