Solar Eclipse is Coming to Dallas. Be Prepared.
Stages of a Total Solar Eclipse
There are several distinct stages of a total solar eclipse that observers can watch for. You must not remove your eclipse glasses until the Moon has completely covered the Sun, the portion of the eclipse known as “totality.”
Partial Eclipse
Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
A reddish sky is shown with the bright circle of the Sun, a dark bite taken out of it. The dark circle covering about a third of the Sun’s left side is the Moon, during a solar eclipse. In the foreground is the silhouette of the U.S. Capitol.
As the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, at first it does not completely cover the Sun. The Sun appears to have a crescent shape. For most locations, the partial eclipse phase will last between 70 and 80 minutes. You must wear your eclipse glasses when viewing the Sun during the partial eclipse phase. The moment when the Moon first “touches” the Sun is also called the first contact.
Shadow Bands
Shadow bands are rapidly moving, long, dark bands separated by white spaces that can be seen on the sides of buildings or the ground just before and after totality, though they can be very faint and difficult to photograph. Earth’s upper atmosphere contains turbulent cells of air that distort the sharp-edged light from the solar surface, the same way it distorts starlight and causes stars to twinkle.
Baily’s Beads
Credit: NASA/Aubrey Gemignani
A close-up photograph of a solar eclipse, showing a bright cluster of orbs from the Sun on the lower left edge where sunlight peaks around the Moon.
As the Moon continues to move across the Sun, several points of light shine around the Moon’s edges. Known as Baily’s Beads, these are light rays from the Sun streaming through the valleys along the Moon’s horizon. Baily’s Beads are very short-lived, and may not last long enough to be noticeable to all observers of the total solar eclipse.
Diamond Ring
Credit: NASA/Carla Thomas
Baily’s Beads will begin to disappear until eventually only a single bright spot will remain along the edge of the Moon’s shadow. This bright spot resembles the diamond in a giant diamond ring formed by the rest of the Sun’s atmosphere. Totality is almost here – but keep those eclipse glasses on!
Totality
Credit: NASA/Nat Gopalswamy
Once the diamond ring disappears and there is no longer any direct sunlight, you may remove your eclipse glasses and look at the total eclipse safely with the naked eye. This moment is also called second contact. During totality, viewers may be able to see the chromosphere (a region of the solar atmosphere, appearing as the thin circle of pink around the Moon) and the corona (the outer solar atmosphere, appearing as streams of white light). Be vigilant to protect your eyes and put your eclipse glasses back on before totality ends. Totality may last only a minute or two in some locations.
During totality, take a few seconds to observe the world around you. You may be able to see a 360 degree sunset. You may also be able to see some particularly bright stars or planets in the darkened sky. The air temperature will drop and often an eerie silence will settle around you. It is also worth stealing a peek at the people around you – many people have a deep emotional response when the Sun goes into totality.
Click for Approved Solar Eclipse Glasses
Watch Live 2024 Total Solar Eclipse
Join NASA experts on April 8, 2024, for a broadcast of the total solar eclipse.
https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/live/
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