Some people read a New Testament passage like Mark 15:33, which says that “darkness came over the whole land” for three hours during the crucifixion of Jesus, and wonder if maybe it describes a solar eclipse. The answer is no, for three sufficient reasons. No total eclipse was visible in Judea at the time of Jesus’ death (astronomers can figure that out). Solar eclipses last only a few minutes, not three hours. And most telling of all, Jesus is recorded as having been executed on or about the Passover, which is a festival of the full moon. When the moon is full, it is on the side of the earth opposite to the sun. For a solar eclipse to occur, the moon must be on the same side as the sun. So whatever phenomenon Mark (and Matthew and Luke) recorded, it was not a solar eclipse. 