Total Solar Eclipse 2024: Debunking myths about radiation, pregnancy risks, and more

Ahead of the total solar eclipse, here is a look at some common misconceptions about solar eclipses and the truth about them.

1. 01

   Avoid eclipse as it is dangerous to watch

   Fact: As long as you follow the right safety measures, it is perfectly safe to watch the eclipse. You should wear protective glasses while observing the Sun, i.e., from the beginning of the eclipse, through the partial phase and up to the totality. Also, once you are in the path of totality some would say it is fine to remove the glasses once the moon has completely obscured the Sun and put the glasses back on right before the Sun re-appears. However, do keep the glasses on throughout the viewing. Doctors recommend that you wear proper eye protection the entire time. Also, there has been hearsay about the dangers of observing an eclipse. One needs to remember that there is nothing inherently dangerous about the total solar eclipse.

2. 02

   Radiation emitted by the Sun during eclipse poisons food

   Fact: There is a common belief that the harmful solar rays during total solar eclipse produce a kind of radiation that harms the food. If there was any shred of truth, the same would have turned food in the pantry or crops in the field poisonous. These unscientific claims reportedly stemmed from the unnerving appearance of the corona (the Sun’s outer atmosphere which is visible when the Moon completely covers the main part of the Sun). Similarly, a lot of people in earlier days believed that the same radiation caused birth defects in humans. These claims have been circulated by astrologers who have been associating the event with violence and chaos. Remember, there is nothing particularly dangerous about sun rays or sunlight during an eclipse.

3. 03

   Eclipses are a bad omen

   Fact: The idea that eclipses are the harbingers of bad news is one of the popular myths surrounding the event. People usually remember when eclipses coincided with bad events and forget when they did not. This is what psychologists call a confirmation bias, a tendency among people to favour information that strengthens or confirms their beliefs or value systems. It is usually difficult to dislodge once affirmed. These beliefs came into existence due to events like the rebellion in ancient Assyria in 763 BC and, the death of King Henry 1 of England in 1133 which coincided with the eclipse back then. It’s not just bad things, good things too have happened, however, people may focus more on the negatives.

4. 04

   Moon turns fully black on total solar eclipse

   Fact: This one will be tough to verify by observing the New Moon directly. However, there is an easy way to debunk it. One should take a look at the first quarter of the moon. The part of the moon not lit by the sun, beyond the bright crescent, has a faint glow. This phenomenon, known as earthshine, occurs because the Earth, as seen from the moon, is quite luminous and casts a soft, pale light that turns the moon's dark side a milky white. The same principle is at play during a total solar eclipse. While the moon blocks the sun, most of Earth's surface remains in sunlight outside the eclipse's path of totality. From the moon's perspective, Earth would appear fully illuminated, reflecting its light onto the moon's surface with increased brightness. Therefore, even during a total solar eclipse, the moon's surface is not completely dark but is instead softly lit by Earthshine, creating a stunning contrast with the sun's corona.

5. 05

   Pregnant women should avoid solar eclipse as they pose a risk to the unborn child

   Fact: This myth is an outcome of outdated beliefs about harmful radiation during a total solar eclipse. In fact, the light from the Sun's corona, visible during an eclipse, is safe. NASA says this myth has no basis. However, the sun does emit another type of radiation due to nuclear fusion in its core. This process leads to the creation of neutrinos, tiny particles that instantly travel from the sun through space, and even through the Moon and Earth during an eclipse. These neutrinos bombard our bodies by the trillions every second, regardless of the sun's position. The only effect of this is the occasional transformation of a few atoms in our bodies into a different isotope. It is a completely harmless phenomenon that poses no risk to anyone, including pregnant women and their developing fetuses.

6. 06

   Regular sunglasses are enough to view total solar eclipse

   Fact: A lot of people actually believe that their regular sunglasses are enough to view the total solar eclipse. The fact of the matter is that regular sunglasses, even those with extra-dark lenses sometimes used by skiers, do not give sufficient protection to the eyes from the intense sunlight during an eclipse. Your sunglasses let through too much sunlight. On the contrary, eclipse glasses reportedly block 99.9999 per cent of sunlight allowing only 0.0001 to pass through. Hence, experts recommend these for safe eclipse viewing. Interestingly, the only other recommended protective gear is the No 14 welder's glasses and this has been suggested by NASA. The emphasis on eye safety evolved in recent years. Earlier, people used unsafe materials like aluminised Mylar solar filters and CDs.

7. 07

   Flowers planted during an eclipse will have vibrant colours

   Fact: This is a prevalent notion among some European nations. They believe that flowers planted during a solar eclipse tend to bloom with more vibrancy than those planted at other times. The fact is that there is little to no data on how plants respond to phenomena like total solar eclipse. However, experts say plants respond to eclipses much like how the rest of nature responds, such as when daytime moves into nighttime. This could well be a response to the change in temperature and light. Plants may likely take up less water over the day and photosynthesis that depends largely on sunlight may be reduced minutely. One needs to note that the length of darkness in a total eclipse is very short, and hence there is no visible impact or change plants.

    

8. 08

   A total solar eclipse will disrupt power supply

   Fact: As it turns, out a lot of people believe that a total eclipse may disrupt the power supply. The fact is that it will not affect the electricity supply. These celestial events have been happening for so long and superstitions have persisted along side. However, in 2024, in the age of renewable energy, minute dips in solar power generation during eclipses pose no threat to the electricity grid. Experts have affirmed that eclipses being predictable and brief phenomena, do not in any way impact the reliability of the power systems. Reportedly, power grids can easily handle such a temporary reduction in solar generation. Modern electricity networks are resilient to such natural events that have a span of barely minutes.

    

Each year, myths and fears about solar eclipses contribute to collective apprehensions. However, time and again, researchers, scientists, and experts have argued against and proven these claims to be baseless and devoid of any scientific evidence.