Total Solar Eclipse 4K

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This video using actual eclipse images gives a perspective on what people will see during a total solar eclipse. The photos used in my video here were taken in Australia in November, 2012.

There are 5 phases for a total solar eclipse (from Wikipedia's Solar Eclipse article):

1. First contact—when the Moon's limb (edge) is exactly tangential to the Sun's limb.
2. Second contact—starting with Baily's Beads (a twinkling light effect caused by a tiny amount of the sun's light from its edge shining through valleys and mountains on the Moon's surface) and the diamond ring effect. Almost the entire disk is covered.
3. Totality—the Moon obscures the entire disk of the Sun and only the solar corona is visible along with solar prominences (using magnifying optics) protruding from the perimeter of the totality.
4. Third contact—when the first bright light becomes visible after totality and the Moon's shadow is moving away from the observer. Again Baily's beads and the diamond ring effect may be observed.
5. Fourth contact—when the trailing edge of the Moon ceases to overlap with the solar disk and the eclipse completely ends.

This Total Solar Eclipse 4K video features time lapse footage for the last half of the 1st phase (due to the Sun being obscured behind a hill during sunrise) followed by the 3rd phase (totality) and finishing with phases 4 and 5.

During totality we can see the Sun's corona which appears as a bright halo around the shadowed disc. We can also see solar prominences as bright pinkish spots extending from the perimeter of the eclipse. During phase 4 (in my video but also during phase 2) we can see Baily's beads followed by the "diamond ring effect". Ordinarily to observe solar prominences one needs special equipment due to the blinding light of the Sun. It is only during the period of complete totality of a total solar eclipse that one can safely use an ordinary telescope to observe such amazing features.
The "diamond ring effect" is where a very small portion of the Sun is peeking out from behind the moon's shadow and the eclipse takes on the appearance of a diamond ring. In my video I managed to capture this effect at the end of totality. It is one of the more astounding effects to observe during a total solar eclipse.

The images in this video were shot in November, 2012 near Cairns, Australia off of Mulligan highway. A total of 1,990 images in ultra high definition were taken over the course of a few hours from two camera equipped telescopes. These images were then combined into one video. Totality itself was recorded in 507 images during 2 minutes (the duration of totality for this eclipse from this location).
Note: Due to telescope tracking errors at the time of recording, some images at certain points in the time-lapse were enhanced and completed by compositing images from before and after in the sequence.

This video was made in part with the help of the cattle ranch owners where I shot this video, George and Joyce Ahler as well as the Porter family that took me under their wing when trying to gain access to the ranch as well for their hospitality and camaraderie while there! Super folks!

The song featured in my video here is named, "Total Solar Eclipse Science". It can be acquired on BandCamp:

More solar eclipse info: