[科技前沿]日食麪面觀

日食麪面觀

印度占星家預測本週的日全食將會帶來地球的衝突和紊亂，這是一種迷信和宗教觀點。科學家認爲這只是一種很正常的自然現象，月亮運行到地球和太陽中間，並在一條線上，同時，科學家完全置否這種災難說。

Solar eclipse pits superstition（迷信） against science

MUMBAI (AFP) – Indian astrologers（占星家） are predicting violence and turmoil （混亂）across the world as a result of this week's total solar eclipse, which the superstitious and religious view as a sign of potential doom（劫數）.

But astronomers, scientists and secularists are trying to play down claims of evil portent（預兆） in connection with Wednesday's natural spectacle, when the moon will come between the Earth and the sun, completely obscuring（使模糊） the sun.

In Hindu mythology（印度神學）, the two demons（惡人） Rahu and Ketu are said to "swallow" the sun during eclipses, snuffing out its life-giving light and causing food to become inedible and water undrinkable.

Pregnant women are advised to stay indoors to prevent their babies developing birth defects, while prayers, fasting and ritual bathing, particularly in holy rivers, are encouraged.

Shivani Sachdev Gour, a gynaecologist（婦科學家） at the Fortis Hospital in New Delhi, said a number of expectant mothers scheduled for caesarian deliveries on July 22 had asked to change the date.

"This is a belief deeply rooted in Indian society. Couples are willing to do anything to ensure that the baby is not born on that day," Gour said.

Astrologers have predicted a rise in communal and regional violence in the days following the eclipse, particularly in India, China and other Southeast Asian nations where it can be seen on Wednesday morning.

Mumbai astrologer Raj Kumar Sharma predicted "some sort of attack by (Kashmiri separatists) Jaish-e-Mohammad or Al-Qaeda on Indian soil" and a devastating natural disaster in Southeast Asia.

An Indian political leader could be killed, he said, and tension between the West and Iran is likely to increase, escalating（使逐步升高） into possible US military action after September 9, when fiery Saturn moves from Leo into Virgo.

"The last 200 years, whenever Saturn has gone into Virgo there has been either a world war or a mini world war," he told AFP.

It is not just in India that some are uneasy about what will transpire because of the eclipse.

In ancient China they were often associated with disasters, the death of an emperor or other dark events, and similar superstitions persist.

"The probability for unrest or war to take place in years when a solar eclipse happens is 95 percent," announced an article that attracted a lot of hits on the popular Chinese web portal .

Sanal Edamaruku, president of the Indian Rationalist Association, dismissed such doomsday predictions.

"Primarily, what we see with all these soothsayers and astrologers is that they're looking for opportunities to enhance their business with predictions of danger and calamity," he told AFP.

"They have been very powerful in India but over the last decade they have been in systematic decline."

Astronomers and scientists are also working to educate the public about the eclipse.

Travel firm Cox and Kings has chartered a Boeing 737-700 aircraft to give people the chance to see the eclipse from 41,000 feet (12,500 metres).

Experts will be on board to explain it to passengers, some of whom have paid 79,000 rupees (1,600 dollars) for a "sun-side" seat on the three-hour flight from New Delhi.

The eclipse's shadow is expected to pass over the aircraft at 15 times the speed of sound (Mach 15), said Ajay Talwar, president of the SPACE Group of companies that promotes science and astronomy.

"It's coming in the middle of the monsoon season. On the ground, there's a 40 percent chance of seeing it in India. On the aircraft you have almost a 90 percent chance of seeing the eclipse," he added.

Siva Prasad Tata, who runs the Astro Jyoti website, straddles（橫跨） the two worlds.

"There's no need to get too alarmed about the eclipse, they are a natural phenomenon," the astrologer told AFP.

But he added: "During the period of the eclipse, the opposite attracting forces are very, very powerful. From a spiritual point of view, this is a wonderful time to do any type of worship.

"It will bring about good results, much more than on an ordinary day."

Mysterious Astrology （神奇的占星術）

就在我們迎接人類首次登月成功40週年的時候，大自然給了我們另外一個surprise——日食(solar eclipse)。媒體紛紛報道，此次日食400年一次，下一次得300年後，這樣一算就是700年啊，不能不說是個自然界的luxurious gift。

天文學家告訴我們，in the 500 year before now，no one has ever seen such a long solar eclipse as 6 minutes；在我們之後，要在中國境內看到這樣時長的日全食，那得到2309年，as for the whole world，那也得精確到2132年6月13日之後。How can a person wait 500 years？而且，由於存在潮汐摩擦力的作用，moon orbit慢慢變大，10億年以後，full solar eclipse will disappear。

Just at this moment, 印度占星學家們宣稱，日食陰影掃過之處，是此次日食到下次日食期間，最易發生問題的地方，the problems will include war, diseases, political change and others。 It is said that the route of the World War II就是沿著二戰前最後一次日食所掃過的地方逐步進行。從德國意大利那邊開始，最後結束於日本。

根據傳統占星的理論來說，it is said that the effects of the full solar eclipse will come 6 months later。

So what is astrology？（什麼是占星術？）

事實上， 占星學是用天體的相對locations和相對movements（尤其是太陽系內的行星的位置）來explain或predict人的fate和行爲的系統。從科學的角度出發占星學是一種僞科學(pseudoscience)。它試圖利用人的birth place、birth time和天體的位置來解釋人的性格和命運。There a lot of astrological systems and theories in the world。占星術士之間對占星學的使用範圍的意見也不一致，有些占星術士認爲占星學可以客觀地預言將來可以被驗證的事件，也有的占星術士認爲占星學的解釋只是趨向性的，它並不能做預言。

　　A lot of people once believed it and some are still believing in astrology.

　　在占星學中，天文現象的任何特定影響只侷限於地球上的一個特定的地點和時間，在其它地點和時間的影響是不同的。因爲地球上所有的人看到的天文現象基本上大致相同，因此占星學的客觀性只是表面的。這也是自然科學對占星學最主要的批評。今天的占星學的預言一般都是象徵性的，它們大都是無法用物理科學來驗證的，因此今天的占星術士認爲他們的學問是與物理自然科學無關的。

在印度傳說中，羅日侯和計都是兩大惡魔。傳言他們會在日全食期間“吞吃”太陽，吸走讓萬物生長的太陽光，使得食物不能夠食用、水源也不能飲用。

孕婦們通常要呆在屋子裏，以防日食讓她們的孩子不能健康成長。此時，祈禱、節食和沐浴，特別是聖河裏的沐浴是被鼓勵的。

Though the terrifying astrology leaves us aome scare, it still adds a thread of mysterious color to the solar eclipse. 我們不能說占星學家們的語言荒謬無稽，但我們可以確定神祕的占星術如大自然的奇蹟一般耀眼。