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.
There are generally, on average, two solar eclipses per year. fewer. In 2011, there will be 4 partial solar eclipses (and two total lunar ones. Sometimes there are more; the maximum possible would be five. two per year. Of these solar eclipses, about 25% are total and 25% are annular, with the remainder being partial. 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.