There is certainly nothing in the photograph that looks unusual, but of course a photograph is static. According to skeptic Brian Dunning, "An old black and white photograph of the actual sun miracle event shows a lot of dark rain clouds behind some trees and the sun poking through. Not all witnesses reported seeing the Sun "dance". Witnesses reported that their previously wet clothes became "suddenly and completely dry, as well as the wet and muddy ground that had been previously soaked because of the rain that had been falling". The Sun was then reported to have careened towards the Earth before zig-zagging back to its normal position. It was said to be significantly duller than normal, and to cast multicolored lights across the landscape, the people, and the surrounding clouds. According to many witnesses, after a period of rain, the dark clouds broke and the Sun appeared as an opaque, spinning disc in the sky. Various claims have been made as to what actually happened during the event. The crowd at Cova da Iria looking towards the Sun on 13 October 1917Įstimates of the number of people present range from 30,000 and 40,000, by Avelino de Almeida writing for the Portuguese newspaper O Século, to 100,000, estimated by lawyer José Almeida Garrett. Proposed alternative explanations include witnesses being deceived by their senses due to prolonged staring at the Sun and then seeing something unusual as expected. According to critics, the eyewitness testimony was actually a collection of inconsistent and contradictory accounts. There has been much analysis of the event from critical sociological and scientific perspectives. The early and enduring interest in the miracle and related prophecies has had a significant impact on the devotional practices of many Catholics.
Īt a gathering on 13 October 1951 at Fátima, the papal legate, Cardinal Federico Tedeschini, told the million people attending that on 30 October, 31 October, 1 November, and 8 November 1950, Pope Pius XII himself witnessed the miracle of the Sun from the Vatican gardens. Bishop José da Silva declared the miracle "worthy of belief" on 13 October 1930, permitting "officially the cult of Our Lady of Fatima" within the Catholic Church.
The local priest conducting the investigation was particularly convinced by the concurring testimony of extraordinary solar phenomena from secular reporters, government officials, and other skeptics in attendance. The local bishop opened a canonical investigation of the event in November 1917, to review witness accounts and assess whether the alleged private revelations from Mary were compatible with Catholic theology. According to these reports, the event lasted approximately ten minutes. Newspapers published testimony from witnesses who said that they had seen extraordinary solar activity, such as the Sun appearing to "dance" or zig-zag in the sky, careen towards the Earth, or emit multicolored light and radiant colors. The prophecy was that the Virgin Mary (referred to as Our Lady of Fátima), would appear and perform miracles on that date.
#Staring at the sun photography series
The Miracle of the Sun ( Portuguese: Milagre do Sol), also known as the Miracle of Fátima, is a series of events reported to have occurred miraculously on 13 October 1917, attended by a large crowd who had gathered in Fátima, Portugal, in response to a prophecy made by three shepherd children, Lúcia Santos and Francisco and Jacinta Marto.
Page from Ilustração Portuguesa, 29 October 1917, showing the people looking at the Sun during the Fátima apparitions attributed to the Virgin Mary
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