Parts of Russia, Europe, and Arab countries will witness a rare solar eclipse on Wednesday, which will be total in some areas and partial in others.
The impact of this rare astronomical phenomenon is not limited to the dazzling view, but extends to include a series of strange and unexpected events that affect living beings and natural phenomena alike.
The sudden darkness will disrupt the internal clocks of many animals, causing them confusion and anxiety. Studies also indicate that eclipses may affect the behavior of microbes, temperatures, wind direction, and even traffic accident rates.
Unlike humans, animals cannot read clocks and instead rely on nature's cues to understand the time of day, meaning that the darkened skies caused by an eclipse may prompt wildlife to change its routine.
Dr. Kristina Paradowski, an assistant professor at the University of Texas College of Veterinary Medicine, explains that animals that rely heavily on light signals, such as birds, may return to their sleeping places and perch as if night has fallen, and may increase their sounds before and after the eclipse, but they fall completely silent during its peak.
This phenomenon affects both pets and wildlife. During the 2017 solar eclipse in the United States, fireflies were observed illuminating their abdomens at the eclipse's peak, while spiders during the 1991 eclipse in Mexico were seen unraveling their webs as if it were night, then rebuilding them after the sun's return as if it were a new day. Pets that are anxious about storms may also exhibit similar reactions, as the sudden darkness during the day is often associated with approaching storms in their minds.
Studies have shown that previous eclipse events have coincided with a significant increase in road accidents. During the 2017 eclipse, researchers from the University of Toronto found a significant increase in traffic risks around the time of totality, with an additional accident every 25 minutes and an additional death every 95 minutes, totaling 46 additional eclipse-related deaths.
Researchers attribute this to increased traffic, travel on unfamiliar roads, driving fast to arrive on time, drivers being distracted by the celestial event, celebrations involving alcohol and drugs, or viewing the eclipse from unsafe locations on the sides of roads, and not necessarily to the change in light levels themselves.
Temperatures will drop significantly thanks to the eclipse. When the moon covers the sun by up to 96% in some areas, the weather will drop by an average of one to three degrees Celsius during a partial eclipse, and the drop may reach about 5 degrees Celsius during a total eclipse, with a decrease in wind speed as well. However, this drop will not last more than about an hour, and the exact amount depends on the time of day and the amount of sun coverage.
The phenomenon of "eclipse winds" is known as a change in wind direction when the moon temporarily blocks the sun. In 2015, scientists from the University of Reading placed weather sensors on the side of the road during a partial eclipse and found that the winds changed direction due to changes in the "boundary layer," which is the area of air that normally separates high winds from those close to the ground.
Professor Giles Harrison, who organized the experiment, explained that when the sun disappears behind the moon, the Earth's surface cools suddenly, as happens at sunset, causing warm air to stop rising from the ground, resulting in a decrease in wind speed and a change in its direction.
In 2011, scientists from the Institute of Medical Sciences in Cantican revealed another strange effect of eclipses, as they observed clear changes in the shape of microorganisms during the previous year's solar eclipse.
The team studied bacteria and fungi before and after the event, recording significant changes. Bacterial colonies showed differences in morphology (shape and structure) and sensitivity patterns, and fungal species also changed their shape clearly when exposed to sunlight during the eclipse, confirming that this cosmic phenomenon affects all levels of life, from large organisms to invisible microbes.
