Total Solar Eclipse and Diamond Ring Effect

Photographer: Mila ZinkovaSummary Author: Mila Zinkova 

Featured above are two images (screenshots) that were taken from a video I filmed showing the total solar eclipse of April 8, 2024. The top photo shows the diamond ring effect at 2nd contact, and the bottom photo show the diamond ring at 4th contact. I viewed this eclipse from a cruise ship in the Pacific Ocean off the southwest coast of Mexico, where totality was longest along the entire eclipse path. It should be pointed out that total eclipses move from west to east because the Moon moves in this direction (counterclockwise) as it orbits the Earth. Since the Earth rotates faster than the Moon revolves around us, this westward motion is easy to miss. However, during an eclipse the Moon's motion is more evident as it crosses the face of the Sun in a west to east direction, and so the shadow it casts does too.

Click here to see the video, which contains both videos and time lapse sequences filmed with different devices: 3 iPhone; GoPro Hero4; Canon SX60. The idea was to capture the experience of the eclipse, including the sunset-colored horizon that probably was missed by most people and also Venus and Jupiter, that some observers missed as well. At the end of the video, note the crescent-shaped reflections of the partially eclipsed Sun.

 

Coordinates: 21.3502777, -107.767222

Related Links:Total Solar Eclipse of April 8, 2024, Observed from QuebecGlossary of Solar Eclipse Terms