I just finished reading a little book by the late Father Stanley Jaki entitled The Sun’s Miracle or of Something Else? It’s an interesting little book in which he tries to give an account of the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima on October 13, 1917.

Fr Jaki suggests that an “air lens” of ice crystals formed above the Corva in Portugual. This lens would explain how the sun “danced” at Fatima, but not over the whole earth. Thus, it was a local phenomenon that was seen at the Corva, and by others who were not present with the three children of Fatima within a 40 mile radius.

According to Father Jaki, the “air lens” would explain the following “difficulties” with the Fatima Miracle of the Sun:

1. The restriction of the miracle to a particularly location. If the sun “danced” 93 million miles away, the whole world would have noticed. However, it was restricted to a particular site and the surrounding region.
2. Witnesses, Catholic and non-Catholic, described a movement of the sun and eventually the appearance that the sun grew and became closer and closer to the earth. This could happen with a lens, as we all know.
3. As the lens moved in the atmosphere it would give the appearance of a moving sun.
4. The witness described and explosion of colors – something that can happen with a lens as it refracts light
5. The muddy and wet ground of the Corva miraculously dried up. A lens would consentrate heat to the site and dry it up. Sort of like how one can burn a bug by holding a magnifying glass over it and aiming the sun’s rays at it.
6. The sun turned to a “silver color” before the miracle. Many, many witnesses spoke of this “silver” apparition before the sun danced. This silver color may relate to a formation of ice in the atmosphere that would serve as a refracting lens above the Corva.

It sounds like an interesting theory without also detracting from the miraculous nature of the phenomenon. Has anyone else ever heard it?

I just finished reading a little book by the late Father Stanley Jaki entitled The Sun’s Miracle or of Something Else? It’s an interesting little book in which he tries to give an account of the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima on October 13, 1917.

Fr Jaki suggests that an “air lens” of ice crystals formed above the Corva in Portugual. This lens would explain how the sun “danced” at Fatima, but not over the whole earth. Thus, it was a local phenomenon that was seen at the Corva, and by others who were not present with the three children of Fatima within a 40 mile radius.

According to Father Jaki, the “air lens” would explain the following “difficulties” with the Fatima Miracle of the Sun:

1. The restriction of the miracle to a particularly location. If the sun “danced” 93 million miles away, the whole world would have noticed. However, it was restricted to a particular site and the surrounding region.
2. Witnesses, Catholic and non-Catholic, described a movement of the sun and eventually the appearance that the sun grew and became closer and closer to the earth. This could happen with a lens, as we all know.
3. As the lens moved in the atmosphere it would give the appearance of a moving sun.
4. The witness described and explosion of colors – something that can happen with a lens as it refracts light
5. The muddy and wet ground of the Corva miraculously dried up. A lens would consentrate heat to the site and dry it up. Sort of like how one can burn a bug by holding a magnifying glass over it and aiming the sun’s rays at it.
6. The sun turned to a “silver color” before the miracle. Many, many witnesses spoke of this “silver” apparition before the sun danced. This silver color may relate to a formation of ice in the atmosphere that would serve as a refracting lens above the Corva.

It sounds like an interesting theory without also detracting from the miraculous nature of the phenomenon. Has anyone else ever heard it?