New moon solar eclipse picture courtesy of Pixabay.com

Grandpa Joe motioned for Tommy Tomorrow to approach him and sit near his rocking chair by the fireplace.

Grandpa Joe had retired a few years ago. He used to run the small grocery store in the country town of Buzzley. Now, in his retirement years, he was finally able to devote his life to his truest passion, Astrology.

“There’s a very special event happening in the stars on March 8,” Grandpa Joe told Tommy in a hushed tone, with a twinkle in his eyes.

“What is it, Grandpa?”

“It’s called an eclipse.”

“Oh, like when the moon covers the sun?”

“That’s right, Tommy, but sometimes, the earth’s shadow covers the sun from the moon.”

“Huh?”

“That’s called a full moon lunar eclipse. This Tuesday at exactly 8:54 p.m. your time, there will be a new moon solar eclipse…the one you’re more familiar with.”

“Do you think I will be able to see it, Grandpa?”

Grandpa Joe’s face suddenly turned to anger. “You are never ever to look at the sun!” he shouted, his hat rattling on his head. “It can make you blind! Or wear glasses before your time! You are never ever to look at the solar eclipse with your bare eyes, either. That’s the same thing! Promise me that, Tommy!”

“I promise, Grandpa. I promise,” Tommy said. Man, this old man is really losing it, he thought. “Geesh! Take it easy. I’m no idiot. I know that already!”

“It’s just that you have this wild sense of adventure in you, Tommy. I know a star when I see one.” He gave Tommy a wink as he settled down.

“Now this Tuesday, no one will be able to even view it from Rainbow Falls—I mean view it with shadow boxes or very special eye gear or very special cameras or telescopes—because that’s the only way to observe a solar eclipse. People can only very carefully, in a highly protected way, watch it mostly from Indonesia this time, but I swear on my hat, we’ll all feel it,” Grandpa Joe took off his hat and dusted it off as he looked in Tommy’s eyes. “Just give it some time, Tommy. Listen hard and really look at your life. The eclipse will have a special message just for you and I don’t want you to miss it.”

“Don’t worry, Grandpa. I’ll figure out its message alright. Me and outer space are like this!” Tommy crossed his fingers to show Grandpa Joe just how tight he was with the stars.

“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” Grandpa Joe said. “It looks like the stars are already talking with you.”

Tommy’s eyes brightened. He had one more question. “Oh, Grandpa Joe…where’s Indonesia?”

“I study the stars, not geography. Why don’t you grab a map and we’ll look it up together?”