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Solar Eclipse 2026: Global Superstitions From India to Korea
Today, August 12, 2026, a solar eclipse is happening in the sky.
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon moves directly between the Earth and the Sun.
The Moon blocks some or all of the Sun's light and casts a shadow on the planet.
People inside that shadow see the sky turn dark for a while.
The eclipse starts at 9.04 pm IST and the Moon's shadow can cover the Sun for up to two minutes and 18 seconds.
People in India will not see it, because it happens at night there.
Long ago, people did not understand eclipses and told stories about them.
In India, a demon named Rahu was said to swallow the Sun.
In China, people thought a dragon was eating the Sun and made loud noises to scare it away.
Today we know eclipses are natural events, but these myths still fascinate people.
A solar eclipse will occur on August 12, 2026, starting at 9.04 pm IST, with the Moon's shadow covering the Sun for up to two minutes and 18 seconds.
The eclipse will not be visible in India because it will happen during the night there.
Hindu mythology holds that the demon Rahu, beheaded by Lord Vishnu, swallows the Sun — a belief linked to fasting, staying indoors and avoiding food.
In ancient China, people believed a celestial dragon was eating the Sun and made loud noises with drums, pots and pans to frighten it away.
Other traditions include the Norse wolf Sköll chasing the Sun, Japan's Sun goddess Amaterasu hiding in a cave, and the Batammaba people of Togo and Benin viewing eclipses as the Sun and Moon fighting.
- Who
- The Moon, the Sun and people worldwide; folklore figures such as Rahu, Lord Vishnu, Sköll and Amaterasu feature in the myths.
- What
- A solar eclipse, when the Moon moves directly between the Earth and the Sun and blocks its light, along with a roundup of superstitions surrounding the event.
- Where
- Regions of the world inside the Moon's shadow; the eclipse will not be visible in India, where it occurs at night.
- When
- August 12, 2026, starting at 9.04 pm IST, with the Moon's shadow covering the Sun for up to two minutes and 18 seconds.
- Why
- Because the Moon moves directly between the Earth and the Sun, and because the sudden darkness historically inspired fear, folklore and superstition.
Key facts
- Event
- Solar eclipse
- Date
- August 12, 2026
- Start time
- 9.04 pm IST
- Maximum duration of totality
- 2 minutes 18 seconds
- Visibility in India
- Not visible (occurs at night)
- Cultures covered
- India, China, Vietnam, Indigenous North America, Mesopotamia, Greece, Norse, Togo and Benin, Inuit, Japan, Korea
Sources
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