Ancient explanations
Before the cause was understood, a sudden darkening of the Sun in the middle of the day called for an explanation. Many cultures described it as the Sun being attacked or eaten.
- China: one traditional story describes a celestial dog or dragon devouring the Sun. The Chinese word for a solar eclipse literally means “Sun eating”. People banged drums and pots to scare the creature away, and the Sun always came back.
- India: in Hindu mythology, the demon Rahu drinks the nectar of immortality and is beheaded. His head chases the Sun and Moon, swallowing them from time to time, but they slip out of his severed throat.
- Norse myth: a wolf named Sköll chases the Sun across the sky and is said to catch it at the end of the world.
- Mesopotamia: eclipses were treated as omens for the king. In some cases a substitute king was installed for a short time so that any misfortune would fall on him instead.
These stories reflect careful observation: people noticed that eclipses were temporary and that the Sun reappeared. Over time, astronomers in Babylon, China and Greece learned to predict them.
Myth: an eclipse gives off special harmful rays
During an eclipse the Sun sends out exactly the same light as on any other day; the Moon only blocks part of it. The danger is that the dimmer sky makes it comfortable to stare at the uncovered crescent, which is still dangerously bright. Proper protection is covered in solar eclipse eye safety.
Myth: sunglasses are good enough
They are not. Even the darkest sunglasses pass thousands of times more sunlight than safe solar filters. Only eclipse glasses meeting ISO 12312-2, or indirect methods such as a pinhole projector, are safe for the partial phases.
Myth: you should never look at a total eclipse
This one is half right. The partial phases of any eclipse are unsafe to view directly. But during totality, when the Moon completely covers the Sun’s bright surface, it is safe to look without glasses, and you would miss the corona if you kept them on. Put them back on the moment the Sun’s edge reappears. Annular eclipses never have such a moment.
Myth: eclipses harm pregnant women or babies
There is no scientific evidence that an eclipse affects pregnancy, unborn babies or anyone’s health, beyond the eye risk that applies to everyone. Many traditions advise pregnant women to stay indoors; it does no harm, but it is not medically necessary.
Myth: food prepared during an eclipse is poisonous
Food does not change during an eclipse. The light reaching it is ordinary sunlight, just less of it for a while. Food safety depends on the usual things: temperature, hygiene and time.
Myth: solar eclipses are extremely rare
Solar eclipses happen two to five times every year somewhere on Earth. What is rare is a total eclipse at your particular location, which on average happens only once every few centuries. The guide on how often solar eclipses occur explains the numbers.
Myth: there should be an eclipse every month
The Moon goes between Earth and the Sun every month at new moon, so why not an eclipse each time? The Moon’s orbit is tilted about 5 degrees, so most months it passes just above or below the Sun. Eclipses happen only when new moon falls near the points where the two orbits cross.
Myth: a total eclipse turns day into night
Totality is dramatic, but it is not complete darkness. The sky turns a deep twilight blue, bright planets and stars appear, and the horizon glows with a sunset color in every direction, because beyond the shadow the Sun is still shining. It lasts minutes at most.
Myth: animals panic
Some animals react, but calmly: birds often go quiet or head to roost, and some insects start their evening calls, much as at dusk. Then they return to their daytime routine once the light comes back.
To see when the next eclipses happen, visit the eclipses page.