And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord God, that i will cause the sun tp go down at moon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day
Bible
Solar eclipse warning: Don't take a selfie!
Don’t be fooled into thinking it is the middle of the night when you travel to
work on Friday (March 20) morning - the unexpected darkness will be due
to a solar eclipse.
And the College of Optometrists is advising people not only to avoid
looking directly at the sun but also not to try to get a solar eclipse ‘selfie’
on a camera phone as just lining up the projection could put you at risk of
causing permanent eye damage.
Camera phones were not on the market in 1999, the last time the natural
phenomenon occurred.
Top tips for a safe solar eclipse
Don’t forget to use your headlights if you are driving as it is likely to be
quite dark during the eclipse
Don’t look directly at the sun during the eclipse as this can cause
permanent damage to your eyesight.
Don’t try to snap a ‘selfie’ during the eclipse as just lining up the
projection on your phone could still put you at risk
If you want to view the eclipse you will need to use special glasses which
have a filter to protect your eyes. These must be safety tested and CE
approved. Good solar eclipse glasses filter out all of the harmful
ultraviolet and infrared light and almost all of the intense visible light to
allow you to view the eclipse safely.
Don’t try to view the eclipse using regular sunglasses, as they won’t
protect you. Instead it’s worth looking at other techniques, such as
pinhole projection.
If you want to view the eclipse through a powerful camera or telescope
you will need stronger filters - don’t think you can just wear the regular
eclipse glasses to look through the lens.
Adapted from:
Do you know what a pinhole viewer is?
Click on the following link and you could see how to make one!
Myths about the solar eclipse
Threat to the monarchy: The eclipse in 1133AD was known as King Henry's Eclipse in
Britain. When Henry I died shortly after the eclipse, it reaffirmed beliefs that the
phenomenon was a bad sign for monarchs. Babylonians placed substitute kings on the
throne during eclipses to protect the real rulers.
Hinduism: In Hindu mythology, the serpent demons Rahu and Ketu are believed to cause
eclipses by swallowing the sun, sucking away the light that gives life.
Pregnancy: Among modern superstitions is the belief that solar eclipses can pose a
danger to pregnant women and unborn children. Some cultures suggest expectant
mothers and young children stay indoors during an eclipse.
Disaster: The Ancient Greeks believed eclipses were a sign of impending disaster and
destruction, as a result of the wrath of the gods.
Beheading: In ancient China, predicting eclipses was of high importance as they were
believed to be a threat to emperors. In 2134BC, two Chinese astrologers failed to predict
the solar eclipse – one of the earliest recorded in history – and they were beheaded.
Poison: In parts of rural India, fasting still takes place among some communities who fear
the eclipse will poison any food prepared during the event.
Crucifixion: Gospels state the skies darkened during the crucifixion of Jesus, which some
assumed to be a miracle and a sign of dark times to come. Historians have suggested it
may refer to an eclipse in either 29AD or 33AD.
Prophet Mohammed: The eclipse of 27 January 632AD coincided with the death of
Prophet Mohammed's son Ibrahim. According to Islamic scholars, this led the public to
speculate that the phenomenon was a miracle to mark the death – but Mohammed clarified
that eclipses were neither the omen of birth of death.
Dogs: Korean folklore tells of the sun being stolen by mythical dogs.
Evil spirits: Communities in some Hindu communities across Asia greet eclipses with the
banging of pots and pans or fireworks, to scare away the demon Rahu.
Facts about the solar eclipse
Sun and moon: A solar eclipse is a natural event that takes place on Earth when the
moon moves in its orbit between Earth and the sun – which is also known as an
occultation. It happens at new moon, when the sun and moon are in conjunction with one
another.
Distance: The reason solar eclipses take place is that the distance between the sun and
the Earth is approximately 400 times the moon's distance from the sun, and the sun's
diameter is around 400 times larger than the moon's.
Total eclipse: This event occurs when the Earth intersects the umbra portion of the
moon's shadow, whereas when the umbra does not reach the surface of our planet, the
sun is only partially hidden which results in an annular solar eclipse. Partial solar eclipses
take place when the viewer is inside the penumbra.
1999: The last solar eclipse of equivalent significance occurred on 11 August 1999, when
100% of the sun was covered when viewed from Cornwall.
Length: The longest a total solar eclipse can last is 7.5 minutes.
Speed: The speed of the moon as it moves across the sun is approximately 1,398 miles
(2,250 km) per hour.
Invisible: Total solar eclipses have not always been visible from Earth. In the past, the
moon was too close to Earth, so during eclipses it completely blocked out the sun's disk.
Over time, the lunar orbit has changed at the rate of around 2cm per year and in the
current epoch, the alignment is nearly perfect at times.
Disappearing eclipses: Over the next few hundred million years, solar eclipses will no
longer occur as the moon's orbit will continue to widen. Skywatchers in the future will only
see partial or annular eclipses.
Annual eclipses: Depending on the geometry of the sun, moon and Earth, there are
between two and five solar eclipses every year.
Saros: Almost identical eclipses occur after 18 years and 11 days, a period of 223 synodic
months called a saros.
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