<p>Definitely a hoax as other commenters have said.</p>

<p>Dark rifts exist in the galaxy - large clouds of dust, several can be made out by eye, overlapping the milky way, in ideal conditions.  See for example the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Rift_(astronomy)" rel="nofollow">Great Rift</a>.  However these are so large it would take far longer than three days for a solar system to pass through them.  Probably thousands or millions of years.  So this is definitely incorrect information.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-19T12:17:03.033Z
Even if we were inside such a dust cloud, there would be no noticeable effect on the brightness of daylight. Even the densest clouds rarely exceed an extinction in visible light of $A_V \sim 100$ magnitudes per parsec ([Kitchin, 1987](http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1987snim.book.....K)), or $5\times10^{-4}$ per AU (the distance from the Sun to Earth). Thus, the fraction of the Sun's light that would still reach us would be $\exp(-\tau)\sim\exp(-A_V)=99.95\%$. But the night _would_ be starless.
pela
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-19T10:45:36.020Z
2015-08-19T10:45:36.020Z
Andy
<p>It is said that when our solar system passes through the dark rift of galaxy (what is it exactly?), a phenomenon named '<strong>Galactic Eclipse</strong>' happens, when our solar system witnesses 3 days of darkness. Is it possible even in this case that there would be no light in the night sky, as there are many stars in the night sky. (don't consider city lights and other artificial human interference)  </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-18T19:30:20.247Z
The "galactic eclipse" is a hoax.
called2voyage
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-19T08:59:34.803Z
[oncubamagazine.com/science/the-lies-of-the-galactic-blackout/](http://oncubamagazine.com/science/the-lies-of-the-galactic-blackout/)
pela
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-19T13:09:15.823Z
Someone did Asimov's **Nightfall** backwards: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nightfall_%28Asimov_short_story_and_novel%29
Wayfaring Stranger
<galaxy>
What is a Galactic Eclipse?
Sirius
# What is a Galactic Eclipse?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-08-18)

It is said that when our solar system passes through the dark rift of galaxy (what is it exactly?), a phenomenon named '**Galactic Eclipse**' happens, when our solar system witnesses 3 days of darkness. Is it possible even in this case that there would be no light in the night sky, as there are many stars in the night sky. (don't consider city lights and other artificial human interference)

**Tags:** galaxy

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: The "galactic eclipse" is a hoax.  
> **username_2**: [oncubamagazine.com/science/the-lies-of-the-galactic-blackout/](http://oncubamagazine.com/science/the-lies-of-the-galactic-blackout/)  
> **username_3**: Someone did Asimov's **Nightfall** backwards: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nightfall_%28Asimov_short_story_and_novel%29  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2015-08-19. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

Definitely a hoax as other commenters have said.

Dark rifts exist in the galaxy - large clouds of dust, several can be made out by eye, overlapping the milky way, in ideal conditions. See for example the [Great Rift](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Rift_(astronomy)). However these are so large it would take far longer than three days for a solar system to pass through them. Probably thousands or millions of years. So this is definitely incorrect information.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Even if we were inside such a dust cloud, there would be no noticeable effect on the brightness of daylight. Even the densest clouds rarely exceed an extinction in visible light of $A_V \sim 100$ magnitudes per parsec ([Kitchin, 1987](http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1987snim.book.....K)), or $5\times10^{-4}$ per AU (the distance from the Sun to Earth). Thus, the fraction of the Sun's light that would still reach us would be $\exp(-\tau)\sim\exp(-A_V)=99.95\%$. But the night _would_ be starless.  

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