Eclipsathon

Another purge from my overfilled drafts folder-- this kickass compilation of the last 2000 years of eclipses. The white streaks represent the paths of total eclipses, and the lighter the area the more frequently it has been eclipsed. As noted by EPOD, the Northern Hemisphere is lighter than the southern because during the summer months the Sun is slightly farther from the Earth, and thus more likely to be eclipsed by the moon, whose size in the sky does not change*. Also, when it is the summer the days are longer so there are more sunlight hours to take advantage of. Over time, these things compound each other to produce quite a dramatic difference between the two hemispheres.

EPOD stands for Earth (Science) Picture of the Day. As a competitor of the super-lame APOD I heartily approve. And yet, it is unfortunate that there aren't more things worth taking pictures of on Earth.

*As far as we know. Teach the controversy people!