Why were people afraid of eclipses in the past? Detailed answer

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Why were people afraid of eclipses in the past? Detailed answer

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Why were people afraid of eclipses in the past?

Solar and lunar eclipses have been familiar to man since ancient times. When a person did not yet know why these phenomena occur, the extinction of the Sun in broad daylight caused him panic fear.

The bright Sun shines in the blue sky, and gradually the sunlight begins to weaken. Damage appears on the right edge of the Sun. It slowly increases, and the solar disk takes the form of a sickle, bulging to the left. The darkness thickens. It's getting colder. The last ray of sunshine is extinguished. Everything plunges into darkness. The sky takes on a night look, the stars appear. In place of the extinguished Sun, a black disk is visible, surrounded by a silver-pearl radiance. Birds and animals fall silent. Unusual darkness lasts about five minutes, and now, from behind a black disk, the shining edge of the Sun appears on the right, bright rays flash. The stars are fading. All nature comes alive again. The sun takes the form of a sickle, but already turned in the other direction. The sickle increases, and after an hour everything is as usual in the sky.

In the eclipse of the Sun, ancient people saw the manifestation of unknown, supernatural forces. The ancient Chinese thought that this monstrous dragon was devouring the sun. They met the eclipse with the sounds of a gong, ringing of bells, shouting and playing musical instruments, singing prayers - they tried to drive away the monster. People believed that the eclipse was sent by God: it portends the end of the world, hunger and misfortune. In ancient chronicles, for example, in "The Tale of Igor's Campaign", an eclipse of the Sun is mentioned.

Lunar eclipses were also considered a bad omen: the ominous red color of the moon made people think of war, blood and death.

Science has revealed the true cause of these celestial phenomena, removed from them the veil of the mysterious and supernatural. During a solar eclipse, the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun and hides it from us. During a lunar eclipse, the moon falls into the region of the shadow cast by the globe. During eclipses, astronomers make important scientific observations.

Author: Cellarius E.Yu.

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