What Happens During a Total Solar Eclipse?

Unique Aspects and Their Timing

Moon's Shadow

• The shadow of the moon rushes toward you at about 1000mph.
• It's "just like a thunderstorm coming in."

Darkening Skies

• The skies darken–but your eyes adjust!

Sharp Shadows

• Note shadows of individual hairs:

Twilight Colors

Shadow Bands

• Shadow bands may be visible for a minute or two before totality (second contact). These are interference phenomena seen on a flat surface when only a sliver of the sun remains:

Bailey's Beads and Diamond Ring

• Seen just before second contact (start of totality) when the last portion of the photosphere (sun's "surface") can be seen through the moon's craters:

Chromosphere

• Chromosphere glowing (pink) hydrogen gas just above the sun's photosphere ("surface"):

Corona

• The hot glowing ionized gas being "blown" from the sun by the "solar wind."  The corona looks wispy and may extend 5-6 solar diameters from the sun:

Prominences

• Streams of hot hydrogen gas ejected from the photosphere ("surface") of the sun—glowing pink:

Planets

• Venus about 15° down and to the right (closer to the horizon and west)
• Jupiter about 30° up and to the left
• Saturn and Mars halfway between Venus and the horizon on the line going through the sun (Mars is closer to the horizon)

Bright Stars

• Sirius near the SE (or ESE) horizon (altitude about 11°)
• Orion in the SE

Temperature Drop

Animal Responses

• Animals think night has come (or is coming) and act accordingly.