Solar Eclipse: Superstitions and Weird Folktales
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon, in its 1 monthly orbit around Earth, drifts majestically between the Sun and Earth, casting its shadow onto our planet. Because the Moon appears in our sky to be almost the same size as the Sun, and its orbit is tilted slightly to that of Earth, several types of solar eclipses can occur. What we see depends upon the placement of the Sun, the Moon, Earth, and the viewer. The first, and most commonly seen, type is the partial solar eclipse, caused when the Moon only partially blocks the Sun's light. Another type — the ring, or "annular" eclipse — occurs when the Moon appears slightly smaller than the Sun in the sky and leaves a ring (or "annulus") of sunlight around the lunar edge.
People in Mexico believe that a solar eclipse is dangerous to a pregnant woman-perhaps causing mental retardation or physical deformities to her unborn child-and that she should always be shielded from the Sun during this critical time. In Hindu stories, there's a creature named Rahu. Rahu, even though he has no body, sometimes swallows the sun and moon, making the sky dark. But he can't hold them for long, so the sky brightens again after a little while. In Vietnam, people tell a story about a giant frog. This frog eats the sun, causing darkness in the daytime. But a wise master named Lord Hahn persuades the frog to spit the sun out, bringing back the light. The same thing happens with the moon, causing lunar eclipses.
0 Comments