Dear Skywatchers,

On Saturday there will be an annular solar eclipse. Annular means ring-shaped. So our Moon will appear slightly smaller than the sun and block it out except for a fiery ring. (Remember: don’t look directly at the sun!)

Before humans could explain what caused eclipses, we gave some pretty wild explanations for them: omens, angry gods, and end times. But now we can explain and predict exactly how, when, and where they will occur.

But I don’t think this has made them any less spectacular. Rather, I think our human powers of explanation, based on millennia of observations and shared meaning making, make the world even more beautiful and more awesome. And maybe even a little more mysterious.

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt