A radio host has warned that the solar eclipse that fascinated much of the US on Monday is a sign of something far more sinister – the return of Satan himself (or herself, in these more gender fluid times).

Yes, the DJ – a Mr Bryan Fisher – is host of  Christian radio show Focal Point and, yes, his views tying Lucifer to solar eclipses were debunked way back in the third century.

In an incredibly long Facebook rant, Fisher described the eclipse thus: “This is a metaphor, or a sign, of the work of the Prince of Darkness in obscuring the light of God’s truth. Satan, and those who unwittingly serve as his accomplices by resisting the public acknowledgement of God and seeking to repress the expression of Christian faith in our land, are bringing on us a dark night of the national soul.”

A quick check out Focal Point’s Facebook page appears to suggest that a number of Americans agree with Fisher’s views.

However, they appear a far more enlightened bunch on Twitter, with many posters pointing out that his “expertise” was outdated by several centuries.