"The Long Afternoon of Earth"

"The Long Afternoon of Earth" is a phrase from Arthur C. Clarke's story "The Sentinel," referring to a period in Earth's future when the planet has become quiet and desolate after global upheaval. It symbolizes a time when Earth's civilization has declined or vanished, leaving the planet in a state of introspection or dormancy. Much like the slow, fading sunlight of a late afternoon, it suggests a prolonged ending or transformation, highlighting themes of change, extinction, and the passage of time in the story's exploration of humanity's place in the universe.