Darkness at noon

Solar eclipse: ancient mystery, modern wonder

(CNN) -- The disappearance, and then reappearance, of the sun was probably one of the most baffling events known to early humans -- how could such a thing be? The life-giving light vanishes, in the middle of the day, for up to seven minutes or so, only to return bright as ever.

It must have been a bad omen. Ancient Chinese thought eclipses were caused when a dragon tried to swallow the sun, and created a loud commotion attempting to frighten the dragon away. Chinese astronomers were charged with predicting their occurrence under penalty of death if they failed.

Tahitians, however, believed an eclipse was the sun and the moon engaging in a private moment, and natives of Arctic America believe eclipses are moments when the two celestial bodies drop down to earth to see how things are going.

Eclipses, of course, can be predicted to the day -- the Babylonians first discovered how to do it -- or traced backwards in time. The first recorded eclipse comes from China, probably from around 2134 B.C.E., and more than a few dates -- actual dates -- from ancient history have been determined because of mention of an eclipse in the annals of events.

Thursday's eclipse of the sun, which will darken a swath from the Galapagos Islands through the Caribbean, is the last total eclipse visible in the Western Hemisphere until 2017. But one more chance to see the dragon try to swallow the sun before the millennium comes August 11, 1999, and will be visible in the North Atlantic, Europe, the Middle East, and southern Asia.

Selected Books:

Eclipse!: The What, Where, When, Why, and How Guide to Watching Solar and Lunar Eclipses

By Philip S. Harrington. Published by John Wiley & Sons, 1997

This easy to understand book details how an eclipse occurs and how you can view one. All the down-to-Earth information needed to see the heavenly phenomena.

The Cambridge Eclipse Photography Guide: How and Where to Observe and Photograph Solar and Lunar Eclipses

By Jay M. Pasachoff, Michael A. Covington. Published by Cambridge University Press (Trd), 1993

Founded in 1534, Cambridge University Press strives to make academic and scientific works available around the world.

Eclipse

By Bryan Brewer. 1978, 1991

From the Stone Age to the Space Age, this book studies humankind's perpetual fascination with the total eclipse of the Sun.

Eclipse; Darkness in Daytime (Let's Read-And-Find-Out Science Book)

By Franklyn M. Branley. Published by Harpercrest, 1988

Atlas of Historical Eclipse Maps: East Asia, 1500 BC-1900 AD

By Francis Richard Stephenson and M. A. Houlden. Published by Cambridge University Press (Trd), 1986

Related stories:

• Scientists, Web watchers poised for eclipse '98 - February 25, 1998
• How to view a solar eclipse - February 25, 1998

Related sites:

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

• Live@TheExploratorium
• Live Eclipse '98
• Earthview Eclipse Network

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.

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