Solar eclipses in pop culture

The Gospel of Luke's account of Jesus' crucifixion states "the sun was darkened," which is why an eclipse is often included in traditional depictions of Christ on the cross, like this one by Peter Paul Rubens. However, since the biblical event is set around Passover, which only takes place during a full moon, and solar eclipses require a new moon, something else must have caused the darkened sky.

Georges Melies, the French pioneer of cinematic special effects, was often inspired by astronomy for his fantasy films, including classics such as "A Trip to the Moon" (1902), "The Impossible Voyage" (pictured here) or "The Eclipse, or The Courtship of The Sun and The Moon," which depicts a solar eclipse as a brief romantic encounter between an anthropomorphic sun and moon.

Part of the Heckscher Museum of Art's permanent collection, German artist George Grosz's "Eclipse of the Sun" is described as "a masterpiece of political art." A member of the politically outspoken Berlin Dada Movement of the 1920s, Grosz depicted the sun — a symbol of life — darkened by the dollar sign and "critiques the greed and violence of Germany's military, politicians and industrialists."

The opening scene in Stanley Kubrick's sci-fi masterpiece shows a solar eclipse from an extraterrestrial perspective. The sun, the moon and the Earth line up perfectly and hide the sunlight. From this vantage point, beyond the Earth, the eclipse seems even more mesmerizing. It sets the tone for a story that questions the time-space-continuum and the natural order of life.

"Eclipse" is the final track of English rock band Pink Floyd's fifth studio album, titled "The Dark Side of the Moon." Bassist Roger Waters, who wrote and sang "Eclipse," said the sun and the moon were used as symbols on the album to depict the fact that life offers good things for people to grasp, "but that the influence of some dark force in our natures prevents us from seizing them."

Late songwriter Jim Steinman was inspired by a lunar eclipse to write Bonnie Tyler's iconic 1982 song. "Most pop songs are about the lyrical side of love, the pleasant side. I've always liked writing about the other side, the darker side. An eclipse seemed like the perfect image to describe when someone is totally overwhelmed by love ... There's no more light at all," he once explained.

In this horror comedy musical, a carnivorous alien plant dubbed Audrey II is beamed to Earth during a solar eclipse and is subsequently bought by an unpopular man called Seymour. Audrey II has the potential to make Seymour successful at work and have a chance with his love interest. But Audrey II lives off a strange diet of human blood and keeps growing, with the goal of taking over the world.

In a 2014 interview with "Entertainment Weekly," the Soundgarden front man, the late Chris Cornell, revealed that he had misheard the words of a news report, thought it'd make a thought-provoking title and wrote "Black Hole Sun," which would become the band's signature hit. Reflecting on the lyrics Cornell once said, "If I write lyrics that are bleak or dark, it usually makes me feel better."

Mel Gibson's historical action-adventure film is set on the Yucatan Peninsula during the collapse of the Mayan Empire. It was shot in the Mexican jungle with all dialogue in an Indigenous Mayan language. The film's protagonist is saved from becoming a human sacrifice at the Mayan altar when the moon suddenly eclipses the sun. The Mayans take it as a sign of the gods' appeasement.

In James Cameron's 2022 sequel to "Avatar" (2009), the planet of Pandora has no real night; it is eclipses that lead to a state of darkness. The phenomenon can be interpreted as a bad omen. During the final battle between humans and the native Na'vi, an eclipse begins. The main characters are faced with major conflicts and important decisions, as the eclipse also symbolizes upcoming change.