The August 2, 2027 solar eclipse will occur because a near-perfect alignment between the Sun, Moon and Earth will occur, with the Moon coming between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking sunlight in some areas of the Earth. This phenomenon is known as a total solar eclipse.
Only in some narrow areas, such as southern Spain (Andalusia) and the island of Lampedusa in Italy, will the Sun be completely obscured. In other areas, such as much of mainland Italy, the eclipse will be partial, with the percentage of obscuration varying from 60 percent to 99 percent depending on latitude. And in Rome?
Solar eclipse in Rome
According to Geopop experts, “in Naples, Rome and Florence, the maximum dimming will occur around 11:09 a.m., but with coverage of the Sun ranging from about 80 percent to 60 percent going up north.” In Lampedusa, however, the total solar eclipse will occur around 11:14 a.m. The duration may exceed 6 minutes, which means it will be one of the longest phenomena of the 21st century. Remember that it is always dangerous for the eyes to look at the Sun without wearing protective glasses.
The alignment is a cyclical astronomical event, but the duration and visibility of the eclipse depends on the precise geometry of this alignment and the distance of the Moon from Earth at that time.
This eclipse is also called “the eclipse of the millennium” because of its exceptional duration and the geographic area it will affect, which is rich in ancient history and culture.
The August 2, 2027 eclipse will be a unique opportunity to observe a total solar eclipse in Italy, albeit only in the open sea at Lampedusa, while a very pronounced and striking partial eclipse can be seen in neighboring regions.
Legends about the solar eclipse
Before science provided an explanation for this event, stories began to arise in the various populations that found themselves experiencing the phenomenon to make sense of what they had experienced. The stories related to the eclipse have predominantly a negative bent–in fact, seeing the day suddenly become night, without a scientific explanation, can be frightening.
In Ancient China, it was believed that a hungry celestial dragon was devouring the Sun during the eclipse. To drive it away, people beat drums and made noise. For the peoples of Vietnam and pre-Columbian America changes the animal, a giant frog or other mythological animals were thought to be devouring the Sun, and they made noise to scare them away.
In Ancient Greece the eclipse was interpreted as a sign that the gods were angry, an event heralding misfortune.
West African Peoples (Batammariba) believed that during a solar eclipse the Sun and Moon were fighting; this could be remedied by promoting peace in the community.