Solar Eclipse

A Solar Eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby obscuring the view of the Sun from a small part of the Earth, totally or partially. This natural phenomenon plays a heavy plot role in Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow and Castlevania: Nocturne.
==Background==
A conversation between Mina Hakuba and Soma Cruz briefly relates a Shinto story in which Tensho Daijin, or Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun, hides herself in a cave to contain the anger of her brother Susanoo, the god of sea and storms. Due to this story, followers of Shinto believe that eclipses confine anger and evil intentions.
In the Battle of 1999, one or more Shinto priests performed a ritual to seal Dracula's Castle into the solar eclipse. Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow takes place inside Dracula's Castle, which is still sealed in the eclipse.
===Saros Cycle 145===
The fictional solar eclipses correspond to real life solar eclipses. There was a total solar eclipse above Romania on August 11, 1999. There will be a total solar eclipse above Japan on September 2, 2035. Both eclipses belong to the same cycle, Solar Saros 145.
There is an eclipse between them in the cycle, centered over the United States on August 21, 2017, the year of Soma Cruz's birth. With this year's eclipse starting in Northeast Japan, it is assumed that Dracula's soul was freed at the moment the eclipse began in Japanese territory.
==Castlevania: Nocturne==
One of the major plot points of this animated series involves Countess Erzsebet Báthory summoning and halting a solar eclipse in 1792 while the moon is completely blocking the sun, enshrouding everything in darkness to allow all vampires to roam free. A real annular solar eclipse took place on September 16, 1792 that was visible on almost all of Africa, southern Europe, and parts of Asia. The eclipse showed up to 50% obscuration in many countries, including France, where the events of the series take place.
==Gallery==
Solar Eclipse.png|Solar eclipse from Aria of Sorrow.
Solar Eclipse - Romania 11-8-1999.jpg|Solar eclipse in Romania in 1999 from Grimoire of Souls.
Demon Castle War - Grimoire of Souls - 01.jpg|Dracula's Castle being sealed in the eclipse.(artwork from Grimoire of Souls)
The Natural Order - Nocturne - 66.png|Erzsebet Báthory's symbol representing a solar eclipse from the Nocturne animated series.
Blood is the Only Way - Nocturne - 71.png|A solar eclipse used by Erzsebet Báthory to perpetuate eternal night.
Blood is the Only Way - Nocturne - 69.png|Panoramic view of the eclipse from the Vendée.
Blood is the Only Way - Nocturne - 75.png
Blood is the Only Way - Nocturne - 76.png|Panoramic view of the eclipse over the town of Machecoul.
Blood is the Only Way - Nocturne - 78.png
Devourer of Light - Nocturne - 06.png
Devourer of Light - Nocturne - 42.png
==Trivia==
*The opening title animation for episodes of the Castlevania: Nocturne animated series shows a solar eclipse that forms the letter "C" of the word Castlevania.
==External links==
*Solar eclipse at Wikipedia
Category:Storyline Elements
Category:Aria of Sorrow