Marcos Pérez Maldonado
We watched the eclipse on the seafront promenade in A Coruña, at the Domus, with a group of staff from the science museums – and some of their family members too – in keeping with the idea that the best way to enjoy this phenomenon is with friends, family and work colleagues, experiencing the social aspect of sharing such an exceptional moment. My first impressions are that, whilst it’s true there were a few clouds that deprived us of a view of the solar corona and also of the appearance of the stars and some planets – at least the brightest ones – the truth is that it was a tremendous experience: very exciting and awe-inspiring. I’m lost for words. It far exceeded my expectations and, generally speaking, that was the reaction of many of my colleagues who were seeing it for the first time too.
What really caught my attention was the speed at which the light changed during the final phase of the partial eclipse. The last five minutes of the partial phase were spectacular; there was a dramatic drop in light and a change in the colours of the sky. I had the feeling that the temperature was going to drop quite a bit, and I stayed in short sleeves the whole time to experience that change. Totality arrived and it was incredible, a true marvel, as if someone were swallowing up the Sun. I understood perfectly all those ancient myths, about people who thought the Sun was dying or being stolen by someone, or that some monster or beast was devouring it, and I think I experienced some of that atavistic fear myself.
I made an audio recording of those minutes leading up to totality, and there’s an outburst of exclamations – people whistling, shouting, clapping… I’ll have to listen to it more calmly to piece that memory together more clearly, but it seems like a memory that’s hard to put into words.
One thing is clear: today we’re witnessing a spectacle of nature; it’s a natural phenomenon with this dramatic and exceptional quality that makes it awe-inspiring, but it’s not the only one. The Perseids, like the ones we’re seeing tonight, the Northern Lights, huge storm clouds, sunsets… There is a whole list of beautiful phenomena, but city life – with our eyes fixed downwards on our mobile screens – causes that gradual disconnection we feel from nature. Today’s phenomenon might just help us realise that we need to reconnect not only with natural spaces, but also with the phenomena of nature itself, and I think this memory will be a help in that reconnection.
My eyes are filled with beauty, my heart full of impressions, and, as the Perseids last for several days, tomorrow, when things have calmed down a bit, I’ll look for a spot far from the city to enjoy these other phenomena, which are also marvellous.