Many ancient cultures developed myths and legends about eclipses, believing them to be omens of natural disasters or the downfall of rulers. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, blocking the sun's light in a path of totality. The Earth rotates daily on its axis, causing day and night as different sides face the sun over 24 hours. Leap years are added to the calendar periodically to synchronize it with the Earth's tropical year of approximately 365.25 days to orbit the sun.