SHIELD YOUR EYES
Solar eclipse conspiracy theory sweeps across US claiming its path through ‘biblical’ towns proves country is ‘wicked’
One person posted scriptures to back up their claim
CONSPIRACY theories about the solar eclipse have swept the United States ahead of the rare phenomenon next week.
The flurry of bogus worries online come as the total solar eclipse will be visible across parts of North America on April 8.
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During a total solar eclipse, the moon passes between the sun and the earth, completely blocking the face of the sun.
The sun's corona, or outer atmosphere, is visible during a total solar eclipse, giving viewers a unique opportunity to have a look at it.
This year's eclipse will begin over the South Pacific Ocean at 11:07 am PST and cross North America, passing over Mexico, the US, and Canada.
Fifteen states are in the path of totality, along with major cities like San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Montreal.
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One wild theory that has surfaced on social media claimed that the eclipse will cover the entire earth and last up to five days.
While this is clearly not true, other conspiracy theorists have pointed to verses in the Bible when discussing bogus claims about the eclipse.
On TikTok, it was claimed that the solar eclipse will pass through seven or eight US cities named Nineveh, which is the name of a city in Iraq that was described as "evil" in the Bible.
The Book of Jonah described how God demanded he “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it because its wickedness has come up before me.”
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The bizarre claims have been repeated in videos online with people insisting that the eclipse passing over eight cities named Nineveh was a message representing a new beginning or "born again" event.
The idea went viral on social media and one person on X (formerly Twitter) posted scriptures from the Book of Luke to back up their claim.
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"Oh, did you know there was a total eclipse the very day Jonah preached a warning to Nineveh? Nineveh repented. Will America?" they wrote.
Some have attributed the eclipse to helping the city of Nineveh to receive Jonah's message, like the blog The Tribe of Christians.
However, only two cities named Nineveh are in the path of totality.
Other cities with the name will only get a glimpse of the total eclipse.
Snopes was among the sites that debunked the claims.
Its researchers also noted that a lot of the people making the claims online were Christians who are viewing the eclipse as a bad omen.
HOW TO SEE THE SOLAR ECLIPSE
The eclipse will be visible in the United States for up to 4 minutes and 27 seconds in some areas, which is almost double the amount of time that The Great American Eclipse of August 21, 2017 was visible.
The cosmic event will travel a 2,575-mile path, giving many a chance to see the darkness take effect.
Those who live in outside of the solar eclipse's path will still get to experience it.
The rest of the states will see a partial eclipse, which means the skies will darken, similar to a cloudy afternoon.
TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE
A total solar eclipse will appear on April 8. Here is everything you need to know about it.
The total solar eclipse will begin over the South Pacific Ocean and cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
The event will begin on Mexico’s Pacific coast at around 11:07 am PDT before entering the US in Texas.
From there it will travel through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
According to Nasa, small parts of Tennessee and Michigan will also experience the total solar eclipse.
The rare display will then be seen in Canada through Southern Ontario, and continue through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Cape Breton.
The eclipse is forecast to exit North America on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada, at 5:16 pm NDT.
Nasa has more information on the exact times you will be able to see the total eclipse in your nearest city here.
If you plan to travel or watch the solar eclipse, it's best to do so safely.
When observing an eclipse, use proper eye protection, including:
- Eclipse glasses
- Solar filters
- Solar telescope
Since you will be looking directly into the sun, eclipse glasses are a necessity - even when using cameras.
If you plan to capture the moment, use solar filters with your cameras or binoculars during the partial phases only.
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Afterward, you will need to remove the filters to capture the full effect.
When documenting the event, it's important to know when the sun is going to reemerge to avoid damaging your camera or your eyes.
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