Astro2110 – The Solar System

Due to advancements in technology, we can easily explain the scientific reasoning behind astronomical events such as lunar and solar eclipses. We understand solar eclipses occur in the new moon phase when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, appearing to cover the Sun and cast its shadow on the Earth. The opposite is true for lunar eclipses as they only occur in the full moon phase as the Earth will come in between the Sun and the Moon and cast its shadow on the Moon. While total solar eclipses themselves are not extremely rare, “occurring approximately every 18 months,” what is extremely rare is the occurrence of a total solar eclipse in a specific location on Earth. A total solar eclipse occurs when the Moon appears to completely block out the Sun, only leaving the corona visible to observers. Astronomers estimate that a total solar eclipse in a specific location will, “occur approximately once every 375 years.” This rarity helps us understand why ancient civilizations understood these astronomical events as abnormal and chose to interpret them in their own way.

In the article linked through the caption, many total solar eclipses throughout history are described, each having different meanings within the varying cultures of civilizations. For example, in Ancient China, astronomers believed that an invisible dragon would appear and battle the Sun during an eclipse. The ruling emperor would then gather an army to shoot arrows in the air and beat drums to scare it away. As well, in Ancient Greece (648 BCE), poet Archilochus described the occurrence as a direct result of Zeus’ power, “since Zeus father of the Olympians made night from midday, hiding the light of the shining sun, and sore fear came upon men.” Presently, we understand why these eclipses occur; however, it’s understandable that an ancient civilization, especially with far less technological advancements, would interpret eclipses as symbols of greater power, simply due to how rare it was to observe them.