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| Ancient men observing solar eclipse |
A total solar eclipse will occur on 12 August 2026, passing over Greenland, Iceland, and Spain. It is the first total solar eclipse visible in mainland Europe since 1999.
Have you ever wondered when was the oldest solar eclipse on record?
Although Rig Veda was compiled about 3,500 years ago, it contains information from observations that were made much earlier.
Rig Veda 5.40.5
yat tvā sūrya svarbhānus tamasāvidhyad āsuraḥ |
akṣetravid yathā mugdho bhuvanāny adīdhayuḥ ||
Translation: "O Surya, when the Asura Swarbhanu pierced you through and through with darkness, all creatures looked like one who is bewildered, who knows not the place where he is standing."
Rig Veda 5.40.6
svarbhānor adha yad indra māyā avo divo vartamānā avāhan |
gūḷhaṁ sūryaṁ tamasāpavratena turīyeṇa brahmaṇāvindad atriḥ ||
Translation: "When you, O Indra, struck down the magic arts of Swarbhanu spreading beneath the sky, Atri discovered Surya concealed in the gloom that stayed his functions, using his fourth sacred prayer."
Rig Veda 5.40.7
mā mām imaṃ tava santam atra irasyā drugdho bhiyasā ni gārīt |
tvam mitro asi satyarādhās tau mehāvataṃ varuṇaś ca rājā ||
Translation: (Surya speaks to Atri): "Let not the oppressor consume me with this dread through anger, for I am yours, O Atri. You are Mitra, whose blessings are true; let you and King Varuna be my helpers here."
Rig Veda 5.40.8
grāvṇo brahmā yuyujānaḥ saparyan kīriṇā devān namasopaśikṣan |
atriḥ sūryasya divi cakṣur ādhāt svarbhānor apa māyā aghukṣat ||
Translation: "The sage Atri, setting the press-stones, serving the Gods with praise and offerings, re-established the eye of Surya in heaven and made Swarbhanu’s magic vanish."
Rig Veda 5.40.9
yaṁ vai sūryaṁ svarbhānus tamasāvidhyad āsuraḥ |
atrayas tam anvavindan na hy anye aśaknuvan ||
Translation: "The Sun, whom Swarbhanu the Asura had pierced with darkness, the family of Atri found again. None other had the power to do so."
The Asura Swarbhanu later evolved into Rahu.
In 2024, astronomers Mayank Vahia (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai) and Mitsuru Soma (National Astronomical Observatory of Japan) re-analyzed Atri’s account alongside commentary in later texts like the Sankhyayana Brahmana.
Source: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2407.19733
Using computers to model every total solar eclipse visible from the Indian subcontinent over the last 10,000 years that met these exact sky conditions, the team narrowed the possibilities down to two candidate events:
22 October 4202 BCE or 19 October 3811 BCE
Atri's Eclipse represents the oldest specific, documented observation of a solar eclipse in human history. This demonstrates that the ancient people were closely observing and tracking celestial dynamics over 6,000 years ago. This recordings were then passed down orally as part of the Rig Veda.
