What Can You See during a Total Solar Eclipse?

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What Can You See during a Total Solar Eclipse?

  • ~90 minutes before totality
    Partial eclipse begins
    Screenshot from timeanddate's eclipse animation at first contact (near Exmouth, Australia, April 2023)

    ©timeanddate

    The moment the edge of the Moon appears to touch the edge of the Sun is called first contact. Apart from the few brief minutes or seconds of totality, eclipse glasses MUST ALWAYS be used for looking at the Sun.

    Note: the timings and images shown on this page are rough approximations.
  • ~60 minutes before totality
    Obscuration at 25%
    Screenshot from a live stream of the April 2023 total solar eclipse: obscuration around 25%.

    ©timeanddate/Perth Observatory

    The eclipse progresses: one-quarter of the area of the Sun’s disk is now covered by the Moon.

  • ~50 minutes before totality
    Temperature changes
    An image of a thermometer

    ©iStockphoto.com/narith_2527

    As the Moon continues to cover up the Sun, the amount of solar energy reaching the ground decreases, causing a drop in air temperature.

  • ~45 minutes before totality
    Sharp & blurry shadows

    Shadow edges that are aligned with the Sun’s narrowing crescent start to become sharper; edges that lie at right angles to the Sun’s crescent shape remain more blurry.

  • ~30 minutes before totality
    Sky darkens
    Photo comparison of how sky colour change during total solar eclipse in Exmouth, Australia

    ©timeanddate

    With around two-thirds of the Sun’s disk now covered by the Moon, the sky starts to become noticeably darker.

  • ~20 minutes before totality
    Temperature, humidity & wind
    An anemometer measuring wind speed

    ©iStockphoto.com/Moorefam

    Conditions on the ground and in the atmosphere continue to change as the amount of solar energy decreases—the Moon’s shadow can cause small changes in wind strength and direction.

  • ~15 minutes before totality
    Light level & colors
    Photo comparison of how light level and colour change during total solar eclipse in Exmouth, Australia

    ©timeanddate

    The surroundings start to darken, while colors begin to turn grayish; the Moon now eclipses more than three-quarters of the Sun’s disk.

  • ~10 minutes before totality
    Nature reacts
    Bird settling on a branch during an eclipse.

    ©iStockphoto.com/sieprawski

    Night comes early: the behavior of animals and plants starts to be affected by falling levels of light.

  • ~5 minutes before totality
    Dark shadow on horizon
    Umbral shadow on horizon, 5 minutes before totality (near Exmouth, Australia, April 2023).

    ©timeanddate

    The Moon’s inner umbral shadow may become visible as it approaches from over the western horizon.

  • ~1 minute before totality
    Shadow bands

    Faint waves of light—the result of turbulence in Earth’s atmosphere—may be seen moving across the ground and walls.

  • ~20 seconds before totality
    Corona appears
    Screenshot from a live stream of the April 2023 total solar eclipse: corona appears.

    ©timeanddate/MIT-NASA Eclipse Expedition

    The solar corona—the outer part of the Sun’s atmosphere, normally hidden from view—starts to become visible.

  • ~15 seconds before totality
    Dark shadow sweeps in
    Photo of Moon shadow sweeping in during total solar eclipse in Exmouth, Australia.

    ©timeanddate

    The Moon’s umbral shadow sweeps in from a western direction and envelops the surroundings.

  • ~10 seconds before totality
    Diamond ring
    Screenshot from a live stream of the April 2023 total solar eclipse: the diamond ring.

    ©timeanddate/MIT-NASA Eclipse Expedition

    The solar corona forms a ring around the dark Moon, while the remaining sliver of sunlight dazzles like a jewel. Eclipse glasses MUST be kept on for observing the diamond ring and the Baily’s beads that follow.

  • ~5 seconds before totality
    Baily’s beads
    Screenshot from a live stream of the April 2023 total solar eclipse: Baily's beads.

    ©timeanddate/MIT-NASA Eclipse Expedition

    Just before totality, the final beads of sunlight stream through valleys along the edge of the Moon.

  • Totality
    Totality begins
    Start of totality, near Exmouth, Australia, April 2023—screenshot from timeanddate Night Sky Map.

    ©timeanddate

    The moment the edge of the Moon covers all of the Sun is called second contact. At this point—when the Sun’s disk is completely covered—eclipse glasses should be removed.

  • Totality
    Chromosphere appears
    Sun chromosphere with prominences

    ©Unsplash.com/karen_kayser

    The chromosphere—a thin, red layer of the Sun’s atmosphere—may be visible for the first few seconds after totality begins.

  • Totality
    Prominences
    Screenshot from a live stream of the April 2023 total solar eclipse: prominences seen during totality.

    ©timeanddate/MIT-NASA Eclipse Expedition

    Reddish, tongue-like prominences may poke out from the Sun during totality; these structures are supported by magnetic fields in the solar corona.

  • Totality
    Corona
    A total solar eclipse, as seen from San José de Jáchal, Argentina, July 2019.

    ©Anne Buckle/timeanddate

    It doesn’t get completely dark during totality: the ghostly solar corona shines as brightly as a Full Moon.

  • Totality
    Stars & planets
    360 photo of the sky and planets visible during total solar eclipse in Exmouth Australia

    ©timeanddate

    Stars and planets—including Mercury and Venus—may be visible in the darkened sky.

  • Totality
    Sunlight around horizon
    Photo of sunlight around horizon during total solar eclipse Exmouth, Australia

    ©timeanddate

    Colorful skies may be visible in the far distance, around the edge of the Moon’s umbral shadow.

  • Totality
    Eclipse at maximum
    Screenshot from timeanddate's eclipse animation at maximum eclipse (near Exmouth, Australia, April 2023)

    ©timeanddate

    The deepest point of the eclipse, when the Sun is at its most hidden behind the Moon. This is roughly the halfway point: the features of the eclipse now repeat in reverse order.

  • Totality
    End of totality approaches

    It is important to know how long totality lasts at a particular location. Before the outer edge of the Sun reappears at the end of totality, eclipse glasses MUST be put back on.

  • Totality
    Chromosphere reappears

    In the final few seconds before the end of totality, the chromosphere may briefly become visible again.

  • Totality
    Totality ends

    The moment the edge of the Moon exposes the Sun is called third contact. The eclipse switches from being total back to partial.

  • As totality ends
    Baily’s beads
    Screenshot from a live stream of the April 2023 total solar eclipse: Baily's beads at end of totality.

    ©timeanddate/MIT-NASA Eclipse Expedition

    A new set of Baily’s beads appears along the edge of the Moon, signaling the start of the second partial phase of the eclipse.

  • As totality ends
    Shadow bands

    These faint waves of light may reappear for a minute or so, rippling along the ground and walls.

  • ~5 seconds after totality
    Diamond ring
    Screenshot from a live stream of the April 2023 total solar eclipse: diamond ring at end of totality.

    ©timeanddate/MIT-NASA Eclipse Expedition

    Baily’s beads come together to form another dazzling jewel of sunlight, with the solar corona again forming a ring around the Moon.

  • ~15 seconds after totality
    Dark shadow sweeps out
    Photo of moon shadow sweeping out during total solar eclipse Exmouth, Australia

    ©timeanddate

    The Moon’s umbral shadow sweeps out, heading toward the horizon in an eastern direction.

  • ~20 seconds after totality
    Corona fades

    The ring of the corona around the Moon disappears from view—the next opportunity to see it will be the next total solar eclipse.

  • ~5 minutes after totality
    Dark shadow on horizon
    Umbral shadow on horizon, 5 minutes after totality (near Exmouth, Australia, April 2023).

    ©timeanddate

    The Moon’s umbral shadow may be visible in the distance as it retreats over the eastern horizon.

  • ~10 minutes after totality
    Nature returns to normal
    Photo of pigeons searching for food on the pavement

    ©Unsplash.com/Bruno_Guerrero

    Night turns to day once again: animals and plants are going back to their usual patterns of behavior.

  • ~15 minutes after totality
    Light levels & temperature

    The conditions of the sky and surroundings are returning to normal; temperature changes are delayed slightly by an effect called thermal lag.

  • ~60 minutes after totality
    Obscuration at 25%
    Screenshot from a live stream of the April 2023 total solar eclipse: 60 minutes after totality.

    ©timeanddate/Perth Observatory

    With around half an hour to go until the eclipse reaches its end, one-quarter of the Sun’s disk remains covered by the Moon.

  • ~90 minutes after totality
    Partial eclipse ends
    Screenshot from timeanddate's eclipse animation at fourth contact (near Exmouth, Australia, April 2023)

    ©timeanddate

    The moment the edge of the Moon leaves the edge of the Sun is called fourth contact. Although the eclipse has finished at this location, the Moon’s shadow continues to travel across the globe from west to east.