[roughly]

> But I've witnessed multiple solar eclipses in my lifetime and while they were "cool", I had no "hauntingly humbling experience" whatsoever. It's something that happens and that we have a good scientific understanding of as to why and how it happens. End of story.

The fact that a giant celestial body blocking out the source of the energy that powers all life on this planet inspired no awe in you - that an object a quarter the diameter of our planet a couple hundred thousand miles away from us slid in front of the only real source of light and energy our planet has and temporarily cast us into night, with no ability for us to do anything at all to influence affairs whatsoever except to wait for the event to pass, that that inspired no awe or reflection in you about our place in the universe, our limitations as people, the degree to which we're subject to forces we have no impact over at all - I don't really think that's a testament to your superior apprehension of what you were looking at compared to the people who treated it as something worthy of reflection and introspection.

[tharkun__]

    The fact that a giant celestial body blocking out the source of the energy that powers all life on this planet inspired no awe in you

No. Why? We live on a larger giant celestial body than that ourselves and there are many others out there that are even larger. And there's giant tiny space rocks flying around and one could randomly come "out of nowhere" and end all life as we know it on the planet and no Bruce Willis would be able to save us.

    with no ability for us to do anything at all to influence affairs whatsoever [...] that inspired no awe

That's exactly it. We can't do anything about that in any way. We also know it's gonna be over soon. No need to start praying or sacrificing animals or something.

    reflection in you about our place in the universe

Why do I need a solar eclipse if I want to think about what we (think we) know about the universe and where we stand? I can still appreciate the eclipse, the fact that there's that giant celestial body you were talking about doing that.

    our limitations as people

Again, why do I need an eclipse for that? Why does it automatically mean I need to think about my limitations?

    I don't really think that's a testament to your superior apprehension of what you were looking at compared to the people who treated it as something worthy of reflection and introspection.

I never claimed any "superior apprehension" like that. Your opinion is your opinion and you're free to have it as well as share it and who would I be to tell you that you can't have it. But don't claim it's universally a "hauntingly humbling experience". You can have this event make you reflect and introspect but you have no right to claim that everyone has to and otherwise they're somehow inferior.