Contact

While the Sun's corona certainly is the most impressive sight of a total solar eclipse, the fleeting moments just seconds before the Moon fully covers the Sun (Contact 2, or C2) and the first seconds after the end of totality (Contact 3, or C3) are very interesting too.

 

When just a tiny rest of the Sun is visible, it forms the Dimond Ring with the faint corona that becomes visible around the otherwise black circle of the Moon.

 

As the shadow progresses, the last sunlight passes through the valleys of the Moon, forming the Baily's Beads.

 

This is also the time when the red solar prominences become visible. During the April 8th eclipse, taking place close to the solar activity maximum, I observed more and bigger prominences compared the the 2017 eclipse, which took place while the Sun was less active.

 

This image is a composite of extremely short exposures, just seconds before and after totality.

 

The sequence of 12 exposures on the upper left depicts the progression of the eclipse from the Dimond Ring stage to the Baily's Beads and ends showing the Sun's Chromosphere at C2. In the lower right, the opposite development can be seen at and immediately after C3.

 

EXIF

Canon EOS-R

Canon RF100-500 f/5.6-7.1 L IS USM

Skywatcher AZ-GTI

 

24 x 1/2500s @ 500m

Done