Because solar eclipses affect sunlight above all else, witnesses can expect to behold some nifty — if not weird — phenomena on eclipse day related to light and shadow. Pinhole shadows are amongst the prettiest of ecliptic events, caused by light streaming through objects, particularly tree leaves. You know how light cast through leaves spreads dappled shadows on the ground? Pinhole shadows are like that, but they take on an arced shape as the moon starts passing in front of the sun.
Looking up to the sun itself (don’t do that during the eclipse without special glasses, by the way), viewers might notice little light bubbles around the rim of the moon. Known as “Baily’s beads” — named after 19th-century astronomer Francis Baily — these beads of light come from the uneven surface of the moon. There are just enough variations in height across the moon’s surface to cause some extra sunlight to peak past its rim at certain points during a solar eclipse, even a full one.
Finally, but least strangely, reduced sunlight during a solar eclipse means that amateur astronomers can get some extra-good glimpses of planetary bodies in our solar system. Both Venus and Jupiter, for instance, should be visible during the upcoming April 8, 2024 solar eclipse — depending on where you live. Things might not get pitch black during a solar eclipse, but dimmed light levels cut out the glare that obscures the sight of the stars and planets during the day.
