It can sometimes seem as if miracles used to be a lot more common.

The truth is, though, that we just have legit explanations for so many more things these days, so true miracles (or even the appearance of miracles) is harder to come by.

In 1917, 70,000 people flocked to witness a “miracle” of the sun, but what brought them running?

Let’s find out!

It started when a trio of Portuguese children claimed to have seen the ghost of the Virgin Mary on their way home from tending sheep.

They claimed Mary said she would reappear on the 13th day of every month for 6 months, and as word spread, visitors began flocking to the town.

Unfortunately, Mary only ever appeared to the eldest of the children, Lucia, who would then have to relay the message to everyone else.

During one of these visions, Lucia claimed Mary promised to perform a miracle on her final visit as proof of her existence.

This visit was to take place on October 13, 1917, and an estimated 70,000 people made a pilgrimage to witness the promised miracle.

They looked up to see what is known as the “miracle of the sun.”

Witnesses reported that the sun appeared to be hurtling towards Earth, then returned to its original position before whirling around on itself and producing flashes of colored light.

José Maria de Almeida Garrett was a science professor who witnessed the event.

“Looking at the sun, I noticed that everything was becoming darkened. I looked first at the nearest objects and then extended my glance further afield as far as the horizon. I saw everything had assumed an amethyst color. Objects around me, the sky and the atmosphere, were of the same color of old yellow damask.”

He wanted to make sure everyone knew he was of sound mind when he observed it, too.

“People looked as if they were suffering from jaundice, and I recall a sensation of amusement at seeing them look so ugly and unattractive. My own hand was the same color. All the phenomena which I have described were observed by me in a calm and serene state of mind, and without any emotional disturbance. It is for others to interpret and explain them.”

The thing is, we know that nothing out of the ordinary actually happened to the sun that day, because nobody else on Earth reported something that odd.

So, what happened to these particular folks?

Professor Artur Wirowski suggests a “sun dog” – caused by clouds of ice crystals high in the atmosphere that can scatter color – could have been at play.

This is a variable event, though, meaning that different people typically come away with very different accounts.

Most experts think the event was caused by mass hysteria and solar retinopathy, which occurs when human beings stare at the Sun for too long.

The symptoms include changing colors and a Sun that appears to zip across the sky, which would explain what most folks claimed to see that day.

It does sound plausible.

The solar retinopathy, not the miracle – as much fun as it would be to believe.

If you thought that was interesting, you might like to read about a second giant hole has opened up on the sun’s surface. Here’s what it means.