Over centuries, many mistruths circumvent the world when talk of a solar eclipse becomes popular. Unfortunately, while many still believe it is safe to follow the complete process of a total eclipse of the sun, without using eclipse glasses, you may damage your eyes and miss the experience.
It is perhaps easy to understand that when the sun completely vanishes, because it is completely hidden behind the moon for just a few minutes, that people make up stories to explain what has happened. This might explain why young children still believe that the moon may be made of cheese
What Stories Were Told?
There is a folklore that belongs to the Inuit people. It explains that Melina, the sun goddess, quickly walked away after being involved with a fight with Anningan, the moon god. When the two finally met up, the solar eclipse occurred because the moon was completely blocking out the light from the sun.
The people of Togo and Benin will require eclipse glasses when they study the next solar eclipse, viewable from their homelands. They also suggest that fighting was involved, but this was a direct matter between the sun and the moon with no gods involved.
What Do the Scientists Say?
Scientists clearly do not believe any of the lies or possible half-truths that have developed over the years, to explain a solar eclipse, where the moon completely covers the rays of the sun. They go further to suggest that human actions cannot be affected when a solar eclipse occurs.
They do combine and completely agree that everyone who wishes to observe the next solar eclipse should protect their eyesight with eclipse glasses. They stress that it is important to wear the glasses before and after the solar eclipse, so that your eyes are not caught staring directly at the sun, for even just a few seconds.
Many of the stories over the years involve tragic consequences, but individuals from Italy used to believe that any flowers planted when a solar eclipse occurs, will certainly always become much more colorful and brighter than any of the flowers planted on any other day of the year.