umbraphile

umbraphile n. an avid observer of, or a person with a great interest in, eclipses. Etymological Note: From Latin umbra ‘shade’ + Greek philos ‘loving.’ (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)

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2 comments
  • Not only solar eclipses but occultations in general!
    When the moon or an asteroid passes in front of a distant star, the moon or asteroid casts a shadow into space and if the earth intercepts the shadow an umbra is created upon the ground. As the shadow sweeps by the observer the star briefly disappears.  A Solar Eclipse is realy a Lunar Occultation, it’s just that the star is up close and personal!

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