On Sunday , 10th August 2008, our country, Iran, witnessed the last solar eclipse of the 20th century. This rare event drew astronomers and enthusiasts from across the globe to our land to closely observe this magnificent phenomenon of the third millennium, which lasted for 2 hours and 28 minutes.
This solar eclipse began at 12:56 local time from the Atlantic Ocean, near southwest England, taking the form of a strip 115 kilometers wide and 14,000 kilometers long. Passing through 16 countries, it concluded from India at 17:10 and ended in the Indian Ocean.
This eclipse was observed in our country’s sky at 15:09:34 and ended at 17:37:45. The peak of the partial eclipse in Tehran occurred at 16:27:55, where the moon covered 94% of the sun’s disk. This signifies a total eclipse where only a small crescent in the outer atmosphere of the sun, known as the corona, is visible.
The previous total eclipse had occurred on the afternoon of Tuesday , 30th June 1964, and after 35 years, such an eclipse occurred again. Generally, this celestial event repeats every 35 years; in tropical regions, it occurs roughly every 37 years. It should be noted that the next eclipse that will be observed in Iran will take place on 20 March 2034 and will last for three minutes. The central line of the eclipse will be over Fars province.
What is an Eclipse?
Celestial bodies such as Earth, the moon, and other planets in our solar system are solid objects that can block light and cast shadows. A solar eclipse occurs when there is an alignment between the sun, moon, and Earth, and the moon is in the middle, blocking the sun’s light to Earth. Solar eclipses come in various types: total, partial, or annular.
A total eclipse occurs when the sun’s entire disk is completely obscured by the moon’s disk. The duration of this eclipse can range from 2 to 8 minutes. During this phenomenon, the moon’s shadow casts complete darkness over a substantial area of Earth, earning it the name “total darkness”.
During a total solar eclipse, a brilliant halo appears at the periphery of the sun in the form of a luminous ring called the solar crown or corona around the moon’s disk. This phenomenon is particularly fascinating because, during this moment, the sun exhibits minimal radiation activity — especially in relation to its position relative to the Earth, with the moon acting as a buffer — providing the best opportunity for researchers to study the corona and significant solar eruptions or phenomena, which become visible as solar prominences.
During this period, the darkness created offers an excellent opportunity for exploring comets. If the corona becomes wider, the eclipse is referred to as an annular eclipse.
Since the distances between the sun to the Earth and the moon are not constant, different situations may occur. When the Earth is closer to the sun than usual and farther from the moon, the apparent size of the moon becomes smaller than the sun’s apparent size. In this case, the moon cannot completely cover the sun’s disk, resulting in the moon being surrounded by a bright ring of sunlight. This condition is called an annular eclipse. The sky remains relatively bright in an annular eclipse, and the solar crown is not visible. For this reason, the scientific value of an annular eclipse is limited. Nevertheless, sun light passes through the edges of the moon in an annular eclipse, creating an interesting image that looks like a series of bright, bead-like spots or luminous crystals around the moon’s outline.
If the moon only covers a portion of the sun’s disk, rather than covering it all, a crescent appears and the event is called a partial or incomplete eclipse, which usually casts a semi-shadow on the Earth. This stage precedes a total eclipse, as the moon begins to cover a part of the sun. At this stage, the eclipse is only partial. Only partial eclipse is observable in vast regions on both sides of the path. In some eclipses, only the semi-shadow touches the Earth while the entire shadow passes above the polar regions. Naturally, this type of solar eclipse only occurs in the polar areas.
The Cultural History of Eclipses
The first written record on this topic dates back to five thousand years ago, indicating that the Babylonians were the first people who could identify and understand both solar and lunar eclipses.
Ancient civilizations built towers called ziggurats on the heights of their cities to observe this magnificent phenomenon. Astronomers could get a better observation of the terrifying phenomenon of solar eclipses from these towers. They called the eclipse “Saros”, which has an Assyrian root and means a cycle of recurring lunar and solar eclipses. This is because the relative positions of the sun, Earth, and moon at the end of a Saros are the same as their positions at the beginning of that Saros.
Research indicates that these events have been recognized as significant global occurrences from the very beginning and have been interpreted differently across diverse cultures, customs, and traditions, persisting to this day. Although brief and temporary, this sudden darkening of the sun or eclipse has instilled fear in people since ancient times. They thought that the sun might disappear during this eclipse. This phenomenon has been the focus of various nations and ethnicities throughout history. Many ancient civilizations saw solar eclipses as ominous events and held superstitious beliefs about them. The Chinese believed that a dragon would swallow the sun during an eclipse. In many cultures, solar eclipses were considered celestial calamities. In India, people would immerse themselves in water up to their necks during an eclipse, convinced that this act aided the sun and moon in their defense against the dragon.
According to Hindu beliefs, the Ganges River, which originates from the Himalayas, is considered one of the holiest rivers in India, and the goddess Ganga protects this river. According to ancient legends, the Ganges River flows from the feet of “Vishnu” (the god of life) and reaches the Earth after passing through the hair of “Shiva” (the god of death). For this reason, they believe that bathing in this river washes away major sins and they become purified, especially during solar and lunar eclipses. This act is considered one of the obligations for Hindus during these times.
Some believed a dragon or a creature of darkness would swallow the sun. Over time, this interpretation evolved from being a superstition to a religious belief, suggesting that in the afterlife, there would be war, famine, and eclipses, seeing it as a forewarning sign for humanity. They would play drums and trumpets or chant religious songs to break this curse, scare away, and defeat the creature of darkness. They would also conduct religious ceremonies before the eclipse, hoping to deter the dragon from swallowing the sun. Following the ceremony and the eclipse, which lasted less than ten minutes, they would offer sacrifices while the eclipse receded to prevent the dark creature from swallowing the sun.
During the Renaissance, it was believed that the devil caused eclipses, and the resulting darkness was seen as a reflection of the intensity of sins and a sign of Divine wrath. They believed the world would end and the Flood (Noah’s Flood) would occur. To seek redemption from Divine wrath and seek forgiveness for their sins, they fasted and flocked to churches for worship and perform special confession ceremonies. During a solar eclipse, no being was allowed to drink or eat, and they would make noises using hollow vessels to drive away evil spirits. Proud and arrogant leaders saw the passing of an eclipse as a sign of their victory over darkness. They used this opportunity to assert dominance over other places, behaving even more arrogantly and ignorantly to solidify their rule. In ancient Iran, these superstitious beliefs peaked during the Mongol invasions. Fearing the resulting darkness during eclipses, they would beat their drums and copper vessels to scare away the dragon that might swallow the sun. Gradually, the tradition of making noise during eclipses became common in Iran, and today, it is practiced as “Tasht Koobi” (beating dishes) in some parts of the country.
In Jewish culture:
Judaism has long regarded all events and consequences of creation as Divine verses signaling grandeur, glory, compassion, and occasionally pointing to the awe and anger of the Divine essence — an anger ignited by humanity’s deviation from the truth and following their unlawful desires. A simple glance at blessings like water, sun, earth, and air reveals that the opposite of these Divine blessings can be floods, wildfires, wars, earthquakes, and storms. Based on writings in sections of the Talmud, darkness is likened to hell, and the shadow of darkness on Earth is likened to death (Bereshit Rabbah, 1:33 and Yevamot 109b). Darkness and obscurity rule in hell, and the reason for their presence is the existence of the wicked and sinful. As the verses mention, ‘I will immerse the wicked and sinful in darkness, enveloping them in gloom and thickness of darkness. I will judge and punish them with the shadow of death on the Earth, using darkness and obscurity for their trial and retribution’.
Some Talmudic scholars provided interpretations about darkness and light and their dominance over each other: If an eclipse occurs in the East, it is an omen of misfortune for those living in the East. If it happens in the West, it is a bad sign for those living in the West. If it occurs in the middle of the sky, it is a bad omen for the entire world. The color can also be used to make predictions.
Depending on the color of the sun during the eclipse, different calamities are predicted. If the sun turns blood-red, that means that the sword and war shall dominate the world, and bloodshed will occur. If a solar eclipse occurs in a dark and murky color, the world will face drought and diseases will wreak havoc, and if it happens in both colors, war and famine will engulf the Earth. If the eclipse occurs at sunset, the calamity will be delayed, and if it happens at dawn, the misfortune will descend sooner.
In the Tanakh (i.e., Hebrew Bible), Jeremiah 10:2-5 says, ‘Do not fear the signs and celestial events, for they do not bring harm on their own and do not possess any power or goodness without the will of God.’
Source: Nujoom Ghabl az Teknoloji (i.e. Astronomy before Techno
