Eclipses

In Our Time: Science

BBC

History

4.5 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 31 December 2020

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss solar eclipses, some of life’s most extraordinary moments, when day becomes night and the stars come out before day returns either all too soon or not soon enough, depending on what you understand to be happening. In ancient China, for example, there was a story that a dragon was eating the sun and it had to be scared away by banging pots and pans if the sun were to return. Total lunar eclipses are more frequent and last longer, with a blood moon coloured red like a sunrise or sunset. Both events have created the chance for scientists to learn something remarkable, from the speed of light, to the width of the Atlantic, to the roundness of Earth, to discovering helium and proving Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity. With Carolin Crawford Public Astronomer based at the Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge and a fellow of Emmanuel College Frank Close Emeritus Professor of Physics at the University of Oxford And Lucie Green Professor of Physics and a Royal Society University Research Fellow at Mullard Space Science Laboratory at University College London Producers: Simon Tillotson and Julia Johnson

Transcript

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0:49.2	Hello the experience of a total solar eclipse is one of the life's most extraordinary, fleeting, and intense moments. When day becomes night, the stars come out before day returns.
1:00.0	A total lunar eclipse is a more frequent pleasure and lasts longer with a
1:05.4	blood moon the color of a shepherd's delight and both events have created the
1:09.9	chance for scientists to learn something remarkable, from the speed of light to the
1:14.2	roundness of the earth to proving Einstein's theory of general relativity and much
1:19.0	more besides. With me to discuss eclipses are Lucy Green, Professor of Physics, and a Royal Society University
1:26.3	Research Fellow at Mullard Space Research Laboratory at University College London.
1:31.6	Frank Close, Emeritus Professor of Physics at the University of Oxford, and
1:35.1	Carolyn Crawford, public astronomer based at the Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge
1:40.3	and a fellow of Emanuel College.
	...

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