When Dragons Swallowed the Sun

Today we know a dragon wasn’t eating the sun that morning in 2134 B.C. The darkness was caused by the positions of Earth and the moon. 

To understand what happened, first consider this: As you sit reading this article, you probably feel like you’re completely still. But you’re not. Earth and everything on it—you, your classroom, your neighborhood—are moving at about 67,000 miles per hour as Earth orbits the sun. 

Meanwhile, the moon is orbiting Earth. Sometimes the moon passes directly between Earth and the sun. When these three objects align during the day, the moon temporarily blocks the sun’s light, casting a shadow on part of Earth. This is a solar eclipse.

There are many types of solar eclipses: a partial eclipse, when the moon blocks part of the sun; an annular eclipse, when the moon blocks the center of the sun; and a total solar eclipse, when the moon completely covers the sun. During a total solar eclipse, it looks as though the sun has vanished—and it can remain that way for up to seven minutes. The air cools by some 10 degrees. Bees stop buzzing. Bats and other nocturnal animals awaken in the darkness.

A total solar eclipse is what was happening that day in ancient China. Back then, people didn’t possess the scientific knowledge to understand why the sun had disappeared. So around the world, people created stories to explain what they were observing. 

In ancient China, you would have believed a dragon was eating the sun. In your village, people would have made as much noise as possible—beating drums, pounding pots and pans, yelling—to scare the dragon off. When the sun reappeared, you would have sighed in relief. The dragon had flown off, and your village was safe.

If you lived in another part of the world, you would have had a different explanation. In ancient Egypt, for example, people thought a giant demon snake was attacking Ra, the sun god. When the sun returned, it meant Ra had escaped. In other cultures, people believed eclipses meant that the gods were angry. The only way to win back their favor was by offering a sacrifice—food, valuables, even humans.

We now know eclipses aren’t a sign of angry gods or deadly dragons. In fact, people often celebrate eclipses. In the U.S., many cities host festivals when one occurs. Old and young alike gather together to witness the event. To view the eclipse safely, they wear special glasses that filter out the sun’s harmful rays. In classrooms, students construct safe viewing devices known as pinhole projectors made of foil, paper, and cardboard.

Meanwhile, total solar eclipses provide a rare opportunity for scientists to study the sun’s wispy outer layer, the corona. Usually, the sun is too bright to see the corona, but it becomes visible when the moon blocks the brightest part of the sun.

Lucky for us, a total solar eclipse will be taking place on April 8, 2024. It will be visible in an area extending from Texas to Maine and could last up to four minutes. Even more special? It will be 20 years before another total solar eclipse is visible from the U.S. 

If you’re fortunate enough to live in the eclipse’s path, be sure to step outside to witness it. (Just remember, never look directly at the sun; use special glasses or a safe viewer to protect your eyes.) Dragons might not be involved, but the wonder of it all will be no less magnificent.