The Black Sun

The corona of the total solar eclipse of 29 March 2006 in Side near Antalya in Turkey appeared undisturbed by clouds and changed my life forever.
Science explains so effortlessly why solar eclipses occur that it doesn’t seem to be anything special anymore. The moon covers the solar disk until the direct sunlight can no longer reach us. We reside in a narrow swath of deep shadow on the Earth’s surface. It’s that simple.
But when the daylight suddenly fades in the middle of the day and the huge black shadow wall appears on the horizon and occupies the sky in a matter of seconds, everything changes forever. Before you even realize what is happening there, the corona of the sun appears and suddenly it feels like a cosmic god is speaking. From one second to the next, scientifically completely inexplicable feelings overwhelm you. The observation of a solar eclipse is such a profound and sublime experience that this life event often changes people once and forever. The sense for the really important things in life is suddenly clear and pure and everyday life moves into infinite distance. The soul begins to engage with the higher forces of the universe and our place therein.
What is most impressive is that this feeling still lives in me just as clearly and unambiguously more than ten years after this experience. This moment burns eternally into the heart and no one can escape the emotional power of this event.

March 2006
Canon 20D, Canon EF-L 100-400 mm, f/8, 2 sec, ISO 100, tripod
Starscapes Gallery » The Black Sun