The Fatima Apparitions and Miracle of the Sun

Between May and October 1917, three Portuguese shepherd children reported six apparitions of the Virgin Mary near Fátima. The final apparition on October 13 was accompanied by the “Miracle of the Sun”—a spectacular phenomenon witnessed by approximately 70,000 people.

The Children

The visionaries were three shepherd children from the village of Aljustrel:

• Lúcia dos Santos (10 years old)
• Francisco Marto (9 years old)
• Jacinta Marto (7 years old)

Francisco and Jacinta died in the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic. Lúcia became a Carmelite nun and lived until 2005.

The Apparitions

Beginning May 13, 1917, the children reported monthly visits from a luminous woman who identified herself as “Our Lady of the Rosary.” She appeared above a small oak tree, imparting messages about prayer, penance, and warning of future events.

News spread, and crowds grew with each apparition, reaching tens of thousands by October.

The Miracle of the Sun

On October 13, 1917, approximately 70,000 people gathered at the Cova da Iria despite heavy rain. The children reported their final apparition, during which the Lady promised a miracle so “all would believe.”

Witnesses then observed extraordinary solar phenomena:

• The rain suddenly stopped
• Clouds parted to reveal the sun
• The sun appeared to “dance” or spin in the sky
• It seemed to plunge toward Earth before returning to its normal position
• Colors radiated across the landscape
• People’s wet clothing dried instantly

The phenomena lasted approximately 10 minutes and was observed up to 40 kilometers away.

Witnesses

The crowd included believers, skeptics, and journalists who had come to debunk the children’s claims. Portuguese newspaper O Século, known for its anti-clerical stance, ran front-page coverage confirming the extraordinary events.

Professor Almeida Garrett of Coimbra University provided detailed eyewitness testimony of the sun’s unusual behavior.

Interpretations

Religious: The Catholic Church investigated for decades before declaring the events “worthy of belief” in 1930. The apparitions are recognized as authentic Marian apparitions.

UFO: Some researchers note similarities between the reported phenomena and UFO encounters—luminous objects, unusual atmospheric effects, physical sensations among witnesses.

Atmospheric: Skeptics suggest sun dogs, atmospheric ice crystals, or mass suggestibility. However, these don’t explain the geographic extent of observations or the sudden drying of clothing.

Psychological: Mass hysteria is proposed, though it struggles to explain the consistency of accounts and physical effects.

The Secrets of Fatima

The children reported receiving three “secrets” from the Lady. Two were revealed in 1941: visions of hell and predictions about World War II. The Third Secret was kept sealed until 2000, when it was interpreted as a vision of persecution of the Church.

Legacy

Fatima became one of the most important Catholic pilgrimage sites in the world. The Sanctuary of Fatima welcomes millions of visitors annually.

The “Miracle of the Sun” remains one of the most witnessed unexplained phenomena in recorded history—whether one interprets it as divine intervention, UFO activity, or mass psychology, its documentation by tens of thousands of witnesses places it beyond easy dismissal.