06.26.07

Sunrise Sunset

Apollo Sunrise Credit: Apollo 12 Crew, NASA
Explanation: In November of 1969, homeward bound aboard the "Yankee Clipper" command module, the Apollo 12 astronauts took this dramatic photograph of the Sun emerging from behind the Earth. From this distant perspective, part of the solar disk peers over the Earth's limb, its direct light producing the jewel like glint while sunlight scattered by the atmosphere creates the thin bright crescent.

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Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Puzzle by Ray Fontenot, edited by Will Shortz

The inter-related entries of four film titles -- TEQUILASUNRISE (20A First showing at an all-day film festival? [1988]), REDSKYATMORNING (25A Second showing [1970]), DOGDAYAFTERNOON (44A Third showing [1975]), AFTERTHESUNSET (49A Final showing [2004]) -- are the main feature of this Tuesday crossword.

ELIA (1A Director Kazan) and ABBE (5A Actress Lane of old TV) are the only other film references in the crossword; however, BARON (41A Von Richthofen’s title) has hit the silver screen on a few occasions, including a video game. ERATO (26D Muse with a lyre) can be involved from time to time, and certainly ARIES (34A First sign, astrologically) will have something to say about the sun’s appearance.

Some interesting crossings and juxtapositions: AXED (49D Pinked-slipped) with AXIS (57A Graph line); ALA (47A Taking after) shares the same line with AAA (48A Motorists’ org.); ETA (40A Greek H) follows ATE (39A Packed away); ACRE (11D Plot unit) and TRACT (14a Developer’s land) vie for space; TRUE (51D Loyal) and FALSE (42A Disloyal) are Shortzesque clues, and also recall the TRUEFALSETEST entry of yesterday’s puzzle, with ANANIAS (43D Biblical liar) emanating from the “A” in FALSE and NOTSO (32D “That’s a lie!”) sharing its “S“.

Words with “U” endings include ECRU (8D Neutral shade), MENU (60A Beanery handout), FRAU (42D Herr’s mate); ESAU (53D Biblical twin) and the pluralized EMUS (64A Avian sources of meat), although I’m not sure I’d take part in such a repast.

Anticipating the night, BATS (7D Upside-down sleepers) dangle(s) dead center at the top of the puzzle, backward reading STAB; and then there's the missing tail end of batting champ DIMAG (27D Joltin’ Joe) nearly turning his name phoenitically into Damage (52D HARM)? WHY (12D Tot’s repeated query) -- must be desperate fill, because the use is quite RARE (22D Red in the middle) -- "red"?, it's a SUNSET!

The Beauty of a Sunset

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