BY JAZMIN BANAL
“New moon on Monday”
(Duran Duran, 1983, track 2)
On April 8, there was a total solar eclipse, the Moon captivating the sky and the people below it. Its black disc blocked the Sun for at least three minutes and its shadow was cast over Earth, starting in Mexico, moving to the United States, and ending in Canada.
“I’m not the only one staring at the sun”
(U2, 1997, track 5)
What a feeling it must be, looking up as it became dusk in the middle of the day. About 32 million might have been staring at the Sun that Monday. According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), this was the number of people who live in the path of totality.
The path of totality. That’s what it’s called. The area where the Sun gets completely covered and the shadow of the Moon falls, measuring around 185 kilometers wide. How cool is that?
“When that old moon gets so big and bright, it’s a supernatural delight”
(King Harvest, 1972, track 4)
What makes this phenomenon possible is the way that the Moon, the Sun, and our own planet find themselves in alignment. The short answer provided by NASA is this: The Moon is smaller than the Sun (about 400 times smaller than the Sun), but it is also just the right distance away from Earth (about 400 times closer to Earth). Since objects that are closer to us appear to be bigger than objects that are farther away, from Earth’s perspective, both the Moon and the Sun appear to be same size.
Thus, during a total solar eclipse, as the Moon passes and comes between Earth and the Sun, the Moon seems to completely block the light from the Sun.
“Forever’s gonna start tonight”
(Bonnie Tyler, 1983, track 4)
In the past, one can look at this astronomical event only by using eclipse glasses, and only if those glasses conform to an international safety standard for blocking light and radiation.
Nowadays, you can be somewhere else and still get a glimpse of it, and with songs to boot. While NASA was preparing to view the total solar eclipse from space, others were compiling songs for the thousands of people who’d go on a road trip in search for that perfect location. The Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (OSM), based in Quebec, Canada, did even more.
The OSM selected instrumental music, including track 2 from this year’s “Dune: Part Two (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack),” that is, according to the Montreal Gazette, “perfectly synchronized with the duration and different phases of the eclipse.” A public playlist was put up on Spotify and it runs for two hours and 20 minutes.
“You gotta step into the daylight and just let it go”
(Taylor Swift, 2019, track 18)
Although the digital experience would pale in comparison to the live spectacle — the eclipse was not visible in the Philippines — listening to the OSM playlist while watching footages of the total solar eclipse in Canada could also be a thrill, visually and sonically.
“Before my life is done, gotta find me a place in the sun”
(Stevie Wonder, 1966, track 1)
Indeed, there are different ways of approaching an eclipse. Personal or communal, scientific or spiritual, adventure or superstition — the choices are varied, even extreme.
Take for example an American airline. As early as February, it offered two special trips crossing the path of totality. It took less than a day for the entire first flight to be booked.
The world will witness the next total solar eclipse on 12 August 2026, mostly in Greenland and Iceland. The longest eclipse could happen in 2186, as per NASA, for a total time of seven minutes and 29 seconds. Imagine how the ordinary person’s experience would have evolved by that time.
“There has to be an invisible sun that gives us hope when the whole day’s done”
(The Police, 1981, track 3)
Given that combination of wonder and humanity, it’s inevitable to crave for a connection with the universe. Just try to temper it, not flying too near the sun as Greek mythology would tell us. And instead of spending, foolishly that is, for “a chance to step outside of everyday life” — such as in last year’s Titanic expedition — consider yourself blessed just by having a sky to share. As the OSM had imagined, a symphony of songs in the middle of a phenomenon could be just as beautiful too.
So, one of these days, if you find yourself in a moment of totality, with the stars appearing to align in harmony, remember this and take delight at what’s in store for you./PN
