We don't think of solar eclipses as punishment from angry deities anymore.
Good thing, too: the United States will see its first total eclipse in decades next year, in August. Parts of Oregon will see the moon completely block the sun.
Tyler Nordgren is more than ready, with a new book called Sun Moon Earth. Nordgren, an astronomer, artist, and "night sky ambassador," is enthusiastic about this and all solar eclipses. He traces the history of human reactions to these events in his book, and visits with some of the highlights.