Yes, God Was Speaking To You During The Eclipse.
When I was young, I loved stargazing. Any and every astronomical phenomenon captivated me. We would regularly lay out blankets during meteor showers, counting shooting stars as well as satellites. I was giddy when the Northern Lights were visible even in Southern Illinois. I remember seeing Andromeda with the naked eye, being fascinated by Comet Hale-Bopp (yes, that was its name), and making time for every lunar eclipse of which we were made aware. One night while stargazing with close family friends, one of whom was a pretty serious amateur astronomer, he pointed out something so blatantly obvious that I had never thought about before: the sun and the moon, despite being 400 times different in size, appear to be exactly the same size in the sky to us. The chances of this being a coincidence are impossible without a designer. It—is—impossible for this phenomenon to exists on the same planet which just happens to inhabit sentient life.
To see why I say this so matter-of-factly, let’s examine the process we would use to calculate these odds:
Size of the Star and Moon: Stars and moons can vary greatly in size. Stars can range from smaller than our sun to many times larger, while moons can be tiny like Deimos (one of Mars' moons) or large like Ganymede (a moon of Jupiter).
Distance of the Moon from the Planet: The further the moon is from the planet, the smaller it appears in the sky. Moons can orbit at a wide range of distances.
Distance of the Star from the Planet: The apparent size of a star decreases with distance. The further the star, the smaller it appears.
To estimate the probability, we need to understand the distribution of these factors in the universe, which is challenging given our limited knowledge. However, we can approach it as follows:
Assume a distribution for star sizes, moon sizes, and their distances from their respective planets and observers.
Calculate the apparent size of the star and moon from the observer's perspective using the angular diameter formula: Angular diameter=2×arctan(Diameter/(2×Distance))
Estimate the probability that these angular diameters are similar.
When you account for the variability in star sizes, the diversity in moon sizes and distances, and the vastness of space, you necessarily come to the conclusion of the perspective rarity. As my AI software put it, “Our moon and sun’s nearly identical apparent size is a remarkable cosmic coincidence. The alignment needed for total solar eclipses as seen from Earth is not common in our solar system, let alone in the universe. Given these considerations, the probability isn't just low; it's astronomically low. This makes the phenomenon on Earth where the sun and moon appear almost the same size an extraordinary and rare cosmic circumstance.”
The artificial intelligence makes a good point.
Without the Sun and Moon being nearly exactly the same size in the sky relative to our observation on earth, the ineffable show during totality wouldn’t happen. It requires the moon to perfectly block out the sun, leaving only its atmosphere, or corona, visible, allowing us to witness it here on earth.
But we’re not done. Now factor in the chance of any given planet having sentient life with the chance of any given planet having this cosmic body perspective. The numbers become laughable.
That’s why I say that if you witnessed totality in all its glory, the Sun and the Moon were very much speaking to you on behalf of their creator. They were singing in the language which God gave them to speak. They were running the course they were assigned from the beginning. Although less of a scientific number, estimates are only 1 in 10,000 people get to witness totality. So yes, if you were lucky enough to witness it, you should listen to what they have to say.
Humans were designated for this realm on earth, and no matter how many Babels we build—whether for good or bad—creation itself will hold to its realm just as its creator intended. For obvious reasons, the Sun is normally off limits directly to our mortal eyes, and with it, it’s corona. But for those who witnessed totality, for a few minutes it’s as if God broke the normal order of creation, giving us a glimpse into the glory of another realm of creation, allowing us to view the electric shimmering of the Sun’s atmosphere, which included several Solar Prominences—the jets of glowing gas, looping and extending tens or even hundreds of thousands of miles from the sun's surface, held in place by magnetic fields. The only reason and the only time that this is possible for a human to witness is for several special minutes during totality in the realm of the umbra as it speeds across the earth’s surface at over 1,000 miles per hour.
Only those who have witnessed this will truly understand. The week before I teased the meteorologist who said it was “life changing.” But now I do understand. Take the astronomically impossible chances of the Sun and Moon being the same relative size in the sky, and then multiply it by the chance of any given planet having sentient life—life capable of engineering as well as art, of music as well as love. I don’t see how any rational person could say this is all just a coincidence.
I sometimes quip that atheism is the belief that stuff bounced around for a really long time and now we have DNA and Mozart. The truth is, it’s order of magnitudes more outrageous than that, and the two big lights in the sky were singing it at the top of their lungs last Monday. If you heard their voice, too, listen to them telling you to listen to their creator. His voice offers forgiveness, life, and salvation. Through his death on the cross he conquered death, and through his resurrection he brings eternal life for those who turn to him. The best part? It’s free. You don’t have to earn it. You don’t have to become worthy. In fact, you can’t. You are hopelessly unable to achieve it on your own. Even this he does for you as the Father adopts you as a child because of the work of the Son. It’s a gift, and to say it is life changing is an understatement. This free gift of life is for you, too. He knit together your immortal soul, and wants you to share eternity with him in his love.
Both now and in eternity he offers things greater than even the totality of solar eclipses.
As he told his disciples, “You will see greater things than these.”
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What a beautiful way to look at the eclipse. I thank God that I was able to see it. AND see it with good friends, on top of everything else.