Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                              2026 September 2
   [2]The image is split into several vertical slices where each slice is
     an image of the Sun in the sky. It follows the Sun slowly becoming
   eclipsed by the Moon. The sky goes from light to dark. The total solar
   eclipse occurs in the central slice. As the eclipse goes away, the Sun
                                 is setting.

                         Solar Eclipses and Culture
                 Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Javier Castro
   Text: [4]Keighley Rockcliffe ([5]NASA [6]GSFC, [7]UMBC CSST, [8]CRESST
                                     II)

   Explanation: Pretend you have never heard of a solar eclipse. The Sun’s
   behavior has been predictable your whole life. One day, you witness the
   sky transform as it does in [9]today’s spliced image spanning two hours
   of [10]the August 12, 2026 solar eclipse. The Sun disappears, leaving
   behind a bright, empty ring. What would you think had happened? Humans
   have interpreted eclipses in countless ways throughout [11]history,
   embedding [12]beliefs about connection, rebirth, or danger into
   culture. “Eclipse” comes from the Greek word “[13]ékleipsis” meaning
   “abandonment”. In ancient Greece, the solar eclipse marked the anger of
   the gods and the Sun abandoning humanity. To [14]the Diné people, this
   celestial alignment is a time of renewal. Out of respect and to avoid
   the danger of sunlight, the Diné stay inside until the Sun and Moon
   separate. [15]The Batammariba people of Benin and Togo believe that the
   Sun and Moon fight during an eclipse, so the community encourages peace
   among themselves. Eclipses are an example of the longstanding
   connection between astronomy and society.

                Gallery: [16]Solar Eclipse of 2026 August 12
                       Tomorrow's picture: empty space
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [28]Robert Nemiroff ([29]MTU) & [30]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([31]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [32]Specific rights apply.
            [33]NASA Web Privacy, [34]Accessibility, [35]Notices;
                A service of: [36]ASD at [37]NASA / [38]GSFC,
                         [39]NASA Science Activation
                           & [40]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2609/colors_of_eclipse.jpg
   3. https://www.instagram.com/fotojaviercastro/
   4. https://kerockcliffe.com/
   5. https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/sci/bio/keighley.e.rockcliffe
   6. https://www.nasa.gov/goddard/
   7. https://csst.umbc.edu/directory/
   8. https://cresst2.umd.edu/
   9. https://www.instagram.com/p/DcBum3zI7YL/
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260813.html
  11. https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/history/
  12. https://www.exploratorium.edu/eclipse/eclipse-stories-from-around-the-world
  13. https://www.etymonline.com/word/eclipse
  14. https://www.exploratorium.edu/eclipse/navajo-understanding-eclipses
  15. https://www.metmuseum.org/perspectives/sikien-koutammakou
  16. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1048378671224043&type=3
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260901.html
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  21. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  23. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  26. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260902
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260903.html
  28. https://www.mtu.edu/physics/department/faculty/nemiroff/
  29. https://www.mtu.edu/physics/
  30. https://inspirehep.net/authors/1073087
  31. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  33. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  34. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  35. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  36. https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/astrophysics/
  37. https://www.nasa.gov/
  38. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  39. https://science.nasa.gov/learn/about-science-activation/
  40. http://www.mtu.edu/