7 Myths about Total Solar Eclipses Debunked by NASA for 2024 Event

KOMPAS.com – The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said that some areas on Earth will experience a total solar eclipse on Monday (8/4/2024).

However, this total solar eclipse phenomenon will not occur in Indonesia and will only occur in parts of North America with at least the entire continent experiencing a partial or partial phase.

Meanwhile, the area crossed by the total solar eclipse will experience darkness for a short time, for a few seconds to minutes, quoted from Space.

A total solar eclipse occurs when the new Moon is directly aligned between the Earth and the Sun, so this condition creates a shadow called the umbra.

From century to century, there have always been myths related to total solar eclipses that many people believe in.

What are these myths?

Also read: Will a Total Solar Eclipse Cause the Earth to be Pitch Dark?

Some myths about total solar eclipses

1. A total solar eclipse can cause blindness

One of the myths about a total solar eclipse that often circulates in society is that a total solar eclipse can cause blindness.

Quoted from Live Science, the light during a solar eclipse is indeed dangerous and can damage the eyes.

However, the assumption that a solar eclipse can cause blindness is too exaggerated.

In fact, viewing a solar eclipse directly with the naked eye can only result in a person experiencing solar retinopathy.

This condition occurs when bright light from the Sun hits the eyes directly.

As a result, it can make vision blurry and difficult to see objects in detail.

Also read: How long will the Earth be dark during the total solar eclipse on April 8 2024?

2. Pregnant women should not see the solar eclipse

Furthermore, a myth that also often appears in the community is about pregnant women who cannot see a solar eclipse.

This myth is often associated with the presence of dangerous radiation for humans during a total solar eclipse, especially for babies in the womb.

Even so, science shows that deep inside the Sun there are particles called neutrinos that glide unimpeded into space.

The neutrinos passed through solid objects during the eclipse and a second later reached Earth. Furthermore, every second, the human body will be bombarded by trillions of these neutrinos.

Then, the only consequence is, every few minutes some atoms in the body are transmuted into different isotopes by absorbing neutrinos.

In fact, this particle sliding phenomenon occurs at any time, both when an eclipse occurs and when an eclipse does not occur.

3. There is no total solar eclipse at the North and South Poles

Quoted from Kompas.com (19/4/2023), one of the myths that is widely circulated in other communities is the assumption that there is no total solar eclipse at the North and South Poles.

In fact, there is nothing unique about the North Pole and South Pole from an astronomical point of view.

Because, previously a total solar eclipse had also occurred at the North Pole, namely on March 20 2015.

At that time, the eclipse passed over the North Pole and ended exactly on the Spring Equinox.

Meanwhile, a total solar eclipse also occurred at the South Pole, precisely on November 23 2003.

Also read: Scientists say there will be an explosion during the solar eclipse on April 8, 2024

4. Eclipses can poison food

Still related to the misunderstanding of radiation from a total solar eclipse, there is a myth that says that radiation from a solar eclipse is dangerous for food. So, food cannot be consumed.

If this is true, the same radiation should also be able to damage food in the kitchen or plants in the fields.

If someone accidentally gets food poisoning during an eclipse, then people around them will associate it with the eclipse. In fact, several other people who were in the same place did not experience any poisoning.

5. A solar eclipse portends disaster

Quoted from the India Times, the sky suddenly turning dark, like during a solar eclipse, is often associated with the myth of a bad omen.

However, this is not true.

The reason is, the belief that an eclipse is a bad sign is just a superstition originating from the beliefs of ancient people.

This was because at that time they still had little knowledge about the solar system and its secrets.

Also read: What is a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse? The following is the meaning and causes

6. The earth will be completely dark

Not a few people say that a total solar eclipse will result in the Earth becoming completely dark.

However, this was denied by Indonesian amateur astronomer, Marufin Sudibyo.

He said that when a total solar eclipse occurs, the Earth will not become completely dark.

Because, according to measurements of the brightness level of the sky using various instruments such as photometers and the like, it shows that at the peak of a total solar eclipse, the sky will be as dim as the dawn sky, around 20 minutes before sunrise.

“So there is still a bluish color, even though it is much darker (than during the day),” he said when contacted by Kompas.com, Tuesday (2/4/2024).

If someone is on the beach at the time, the horizon line (where the sky and the sea meet) will still be visible.

“Then, in the sky, only the bright stars (magnitude 0 to +1) and the five classical planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn) can be seen,” explained Marufin.

Marufin said that the dark conditions during a total solar eclipse are different from the pitch black conditions on the night of the full moon, where the brightness of the sky is 10 times smaller.

“In short, it can be said that at the peak of the total solar eclipse, the sky was still 10 times brighter than the night sky decorated with the full moon,” he added.

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2024-04-05 02:00:00
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