An event that drew a crowd
In 1917, the town of Fátima, Portugal, became the center of worldwide attention following the claims of three shepherd children. They claimed to have witnessed apparitions of the Virgin Mary, who, according to their testimony, promised to appear on the 13th of each month for six consecutive months. The news spread quickly, attracting pilgrims, curious onlookers, and journalists. On October 13 of that year, an estimated crowd of 70,000 people gathered at Cova da Iria, awaiting the last promised apparition and the miracle that, according to the children, the Virgin had announced.
The celestial phenomenon described by witnesses
Numerous accounts coincide in describing an extraordinary event: the sun seemed to spin around itself, giving off multicolored beams of light and giving the impression of rushing toward the earth before returning to its usual position. Among the observers was Professor José Maria de Almeida Garrett, who described how the atmosphere was tinged with yellow and violet tones, as if a mist covered everything. Although he remained calm, he recognized the unusual nature of the scene. This event would go down in history as the 'Miracle of the Sun'.
The absence of records and scientific hypotheses
It is significant that no astronomical observatory in the world recorded solar anomalies that day, suggesting that the phenomenon was strictly local in scope. Science has proposed several explanations. One of the most widely accepted is the optical phenomenon known as 'parhelion' or 'sun dog', caused by the refraction of sunlight in ice crystals present in the atmosphere, capable of generating halos and luminous spots. Researcher Artur Wirowski, from the Lodz University of Technology, is one of the proponents of this theory, although he acknowledges the diversity of testimonies.
Other perspectives: psychological and physiological factors
Other explanations point to human factors. Publications such as IFL Science have suggested that a combination of mass hysteria and solar retinopathy—a retinal injury caused by staring at the sun—could have generated visual distortions and afterimages, causing people to perceive movements or color changes in the sun. This condition can temporarily alter the vision of those who suffer from it.
An enduring legacy between faith and reason
More than a century later, the 'Miracle of the Sun' in Fatima lacks conclusive material evidence: there are no photographs capturing the moment described, despite the presence of numerous witnesses. The event remains at the crossroads between religious devotion, which interprets it as a supernatural sign, and scientific skepticism, which seeks natural explanations. This duality has consolidated it as one of the most studied and debated religious episodes of the 20th century, an enduring symbol where expectation, collective experience, and the mysteries of human perception converge.
Original source: revistaforum.com.br (published October 13, 2025)
Photo: Tim Mossholder on Unsplash
