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Weekend


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August 6, 2004

Strange But True!

  • A weekly column of incidental information, off-the-wall observations and other random facts about the world.
    • By BILL SONES and RICH SONES, Ph.D.
    Special to the Journal

    Q. What's the "400 x 1/400 = 1" that sends umbraphiles off in pursuit of their heavenly love?

    A. This lucky equation sums up the Moon being 400 times smaller than the Sun but at the same time 400 times closer to the Earth, so their discs appear exactly the same size in the sky, says "New Scientist" magazine. This makes total solar eclipses (TSEs) possible.


     
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