Janet McCrickard,
Eclipse of the Sun (1990)


Mexico #775, 5 centavos
(issued Feb. 17, 1942)


Romania #C107, 1.75 lei
(Eclipse: Feb. 15, 1961)


Cook Islands #159, 6 pence
(Eclipse: May 30, 1965)


Senegal #388, 35 francs
(Eclipse: June 30, 1973)

Solar Eclipse: August 21, 2017

Thales showed his students that
philosophers can be rich by cornering
the olive-press market when predicting
the solar eclipse of May 28, 585 B.C.

Exactly 2504 years later the eclipse
of May 29, 1919 confirmed Einstein's
Theory of Relativity that starlight
would be bent by the Sun's gravity.

Dante cites "eclipse" five times
in his Paradiso, on someone squinting
at the eclipsed sun losing his sight and
he too blinded by blazing celestial light.

Three of the Gospels cite darkening
of the Sun at Crucifixion from noon
to three, but scholars say solar eclipses
last at most seven minutes 31 seconds.

The solar eclipse of June 8, 1918 crossed
from Washington State to Florida, similar
to the ribbon pathway rolling across
the nation from Pacific to the Atlantic.

Annie Dillard compares a partial to
a total eclipse as kissing a man to
marrying him or flying in a plane
to jumping out of one— that's why

536,000 cars entered Wyoming
a few days before the total eclipse
to drink in this nature's splendor—
Birds flew hither & thither, temperature

plummeted, Native Americans drummed
louder and faster, chanting to bring back
the sun eaten by some dragon or demon,
people were crying, sobbing, screaming.

But it's just the Moon making love
to the Sun, two celestial bodies from
night & day coming together with
all the stars out and us watching.

        Peter Y. Chou
        Mountain View, 8-21-2017


U.S. #5207 "Total Eclipse of the Sun"
Back of Sheet: Track of Eclipse across U.S.


U.S. #5201, 49¢ Forever
(Eclipse: August 21, 2017)


Iran #2772c, 250 rials
(Eclipse: August 11, 1999)


Philippines #1922, 1 peso
(Eclipse: March 18, 1988)


Thailand #1628, 2 baht
(Eclipse: October 24, 1995)


Zimbabwe #884, $28.00
(Eclipse: June 21, 2001)


Solar Eclipse Corona
(Photo: Feb. 26. 1980, Kenya)