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The ancient Chinese were among the first civilizations to create observatories. According to their beliefs, the emperor was linked with the Sun and any change in the Sun could mean an ill omen for the emperor.Among the first recorded acts regarding a solar eclipse is the alleged beheading of two astronomers who did not predict an eclipse.

The emperor would do all that was in his power to appease the powers that be and allow the Sun to return. Early in Chinese history, oracle bones were used to record eclipses. However, they were often cryptic and had no true dates.Originally, the ancient Chinese held the belief that the Sun was being devoured by a dragon.

Prior to the construction of observatories, the main belief was that a legendary celestial dragon was preparing to eat the Sun and plunge the world into darkness.It was tradition to bang on pots and pans and create large amounts of noise to drive the dragon away.

The Chinese eventually moved away from their mythological explanations as they developed more advanced astronomy and kept better paper records.Despite the advances, there were still some who believed in the old legend. This included the men on a 19th-century naval vessel who fired off their cannons to scare away the dragon eating the Moon.

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