Candles are a leading cause of home fires and fatalities. Soot on the walls and furnishings is unsightly, and may also be a sign of serious problems. It may also be unhealthy, as inhalation of minute particles of soot has been documented to cause health problems.
It is a popular misconception that the phenomenon of a total eclipse of the sun is a rare occurrence. Quite the contrary. Approximately once every 18 months (on average) a total solar eclipse is visible from some place on the Earthâs surface. That's two totalities for every three years.
Lunar eclipses also occur, on average, twice a year. Roughly half are total; the remainder are partial or penumbral. During the 100 years of the 20th Century (1901 - 2000), there were 228 solar eclipses and 229 lunar ones, for an average of about 2.3 per year. Any one year may have 2 - 5 of each.