HBS #4 The Suns Hidden Figure 8 - Why This Eclipse Doesn’t Line Up Normally
Most of us think of a solar eclipse as a single breathtaking moment, but what if you could capture one inside an entire year of sunlight? The Tutulemma is the only known photograph of its kind ever made: a full year of the Sun’s motion traced in a glowing figure-8 pattern known as the analemma, crowned by a single frame of total darkness when the Moon passes in front of the Sun.
Geoff Jenkins
What you’ll explore in this episode:
In this episode of Heavy Brain Space, I explore how the analemma reveals Earth’s orbit, tilt, and the equation of time - the subtle mismatch between our clocks and the Sun’s apparent timing. It’s part astronomy, part art, and part human creativity: a story about one Turkish astrophotographer who spent over a year working to capture the fleeting moment when darkness overtook light. From advancements in heliophysics to the act of creativity, the Tutulemma reminds us that discovery often hides in present, every day repetition of life.
► A word I’d never heard before
► What’s an analemma?
► Tilt, orbit, and the figure 8
► The Sun doesn’t follow our clocks
► How to build one yourself
► The man who made the Tutulemma
► An eclipse inside a year of sunlight
► Why this story matters to me
► Heavy music, space science, big ideas
