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Monday, November 23, 2009

Photo: Ancient Eclipse Found in "The Odyssey," Scientists Say


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In a total solar eclipse (such as this one photographed from Mexico on July 11, 1991) the moon passes directly between Earth and the sun, completely hiding the solar surface.

A new study says that in The Odyssey, the ancient epic poet Homer described a real-life eclipse in a passage widely assumed to be an abstract prophecy of doom.

Photograph courtesy NASA