The Baily's beads, diamond ring or more rarely double diamond ring effects,[1] are features of total and annular solar eclipses. Although caused by the same phenomenon, they are distinct events during these types of solar eclipses. As the Moon covers the Sun during a solar eclipse, the rugged topography of the lunar limb allows beads of sunlight to shine through in some places while not in others. They are named for Francis Baily, who explained the effects in 1836.[2][3] The diamond ring effects are seen when only one or two beads are left, appearing as shining "diamonds" set in a bright ring around the lunar silhouette.[4]
Lunar topography has considerable relief because of the presence of mountains, craters, valleys and other topographical features. The irregularities of the lunar limb profile (the "edge" of the Moon, as seen from a distance) are known accurately from observations of grazing occultations of stars. Astronomers thus have a fairly good idea which mountains and valleys will cause the beads to appear in advance of the eclipse. While Baily's beads are seen briefly for a few seconds at the center of the eclipse path, their duration is maximized near the edges of the path of the umbra, lasting around 90 seconds.
It is not safe to view Baily's beads or the diamond ring effect without proper eye protection because in both cases the photosphere is still visible.[5]
Observers in the path of totality of a solar eclipse see first a gradual covering of the Sun by the lunar silhouette for just a small duration of time from around one minute to four minutes, followed by the diamond ring effect (visible without filters) as the last bit of photosphere disappears. As the burst of light from the ring fades, Baily's beads appear as the last bits of the bright photosphere shine through valleys aligned at the edge of the Moon.[6] As the Baily's beads disappear behind the advancing lunar edge (the beads also reappear at the end of totality), a thin reddish edge called the chromosphere (the Greek chrōma meaning "color") appears. Though the reddish hydrogen radiation is most visible to the unaided eye, the chromosphere also emits thousands of additional spectral lines.[7]
Although Baily is often said to have discovered the cause of the feature which bears his name, Sir Edmond Halley made the first recorded observations of Baily's beads during the solar eclipse of 3 May 1715.[8][Note 1] Halley described and correctly ascertained the cause of the effect[8] in his "Observations of the late Total Eclipse of the Sun [...]" in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society:
About two Minutes before the Total Immersion, the remaining part of the Sun was reduced to a very fine Horn, whose Extremeties seemed to lose their Acuteness, and to become round like Stars ... which Appearance could proceed from no other Cause but the Inequalities of the Moon's Surface, there being some elevated parts thereof near the Moon's Southern Pole, by whose Interposition part of that exceedingly fine Filament of Light was intercepted.[8]
The term "Baily's beads" then came into use after Baily described the phenomenon to the Royal Astronomical Society in December 1836. Having observed the solar eclipse of 15 May 1836 from Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders, he reported that:
...when the cusps of the sun were about 40 degrees asunder, a row of lucid points, like a string of beads, irregular in size, and distance from each other, suddenly formed around that part of the circumference of the moon that was about to enter on the sun's disc.[9]
Double Diamond Ring Effectedit
Before the diamond ring effect during a total solar eclipse, a sequence of small bits of sunlight known as Baily’s Beads can be observed. These beads quickly disappear one by one until only one is left. By using precise elevation models of the Moon’s irregular surface, it is now possible to predict where Baily’s Beads will converge to create the double diamond ring effect instead of just one bead. A map of the path taken by this effect was created and used to determine the cities along the path of totality during the April 8th, 2024, total solar eclipse.[10]
In 1735, painter and architect Cosmas Damian Asam completed a painting that is probably the earliest known work that realistically depicts a total solar eclipse and diamond ring.[11]
The Diamond Ring effect is seen during the credit opening sequence of Star Trek: Voyager (1995–2001), albeit from a fictitious extrasolar body, as seen from space.[citation needed]
The Baily's beads phenomenon is seen during the credit opening sequence of the NBC TV show Heroes (2006–2010).[citation needed]
The diamond ring effect as totality ends during the total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017, in central Wyoming. The rainbow coloration is a lens flare and not a natural phenomenon.
^Great Britain did not adopt the Gregorian calendar until 1752, so at the time of the eclipse, the date was recorded as 22 April 1715.
Citationsedit
^ abStaff (27 December 2023). "Searching for the Double Diamond Ring". PhotoEphemeris.com. Archived from the original on 30 December 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
^Baily (1836). "I. On a remarkable phenomenon that occurs in total and annular eclipses of the sun". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 4 (2): 15–19. doi:10.1093/mnras/4.2.15.
^"Solar Eclipse Observing--The Diamond Ring and Baily's Beads".
^Pasachoff, J. M. & Covington, M. The Cambridge Eclipse Photography Guide (Cambridge Univ. Press, 1993)[page needed]
^Pasachoff, Jay M. (2009). "Solar eclipses as an astrophysical laboratory". Nature. 459 (7248): 789–795. Bibcode:2009Natur.459..789P. doi:10.1038/nature07987. PMID 19516332. S2CID 205216683.
^ abcPasachoff, Jay M. (1999). "Halley and his maps of the Total Eclipses of 1715 and 1724". Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage. 2 (1): 39. Bibcode:1999JAHH....2...39P. doi:10.3724/SP.J.1440-2807.1999.01.04.
^Baily (1836). "I. On a remarkable phenomenon that occurs in total and annular eclipses of the sun". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 4 (2): 15–19. doi:10.1093/mnras/4.2.15.
baily, beads, diamond, ring, more, rarely, double, diamond, ring, effects, features, total, annular, solar, eclipses, although, caused, same, phenomenon, they, distinct, events, during, these, types, solar, eclipses, moon, covers, during, solar, eclipse, rugge. The Baily s beads diamond ring or more rarely double diamond ring effects 1 are features of total and annular solar eclipses Although caused by the same phenomenon they are distinct events during these types of solar eclipses As the Moon covers the Sun during a solar eclipse the rugged topography of the lunar limb allows beads of sunlight to shine through in some places while not in others They are named for Francis Baily who explained the effects in 1836 2 3 The diamond ring effects are seen when only one or two beads are left appearing as shining diamonds set in a bright ring around the lunar silhouette 4 Baily s beads photographed 4 seconds before totality of the solar eclipse of August 21 2017 Lunar topography has considerable relief because of the presence of mountains craters valleys and other topographical features The irregularities of the lunar limb profile the edge of the Moon as seen from a distance are known accurately from observations of grazing occultations of stars Astronomers thus have a fairly good idea which mountains and valleys will cause the beads to appear in advance of the eclipse While Baily s beads are seen briefly for a few seconds at the center of the eclipse path their duration is maximized near the edges of the path of the umbra lasting around 90 seconds It is not safe to view Baily s beads or the diamond ring effect without proper eye protection because in both cases the photosphere is still visible 5 Observers in the path of totality of a solar eclipse see first a gradual covering of the Sun by the lunar silhouette for just a small duration of time from around one minute to four minutes followed by the diamond ring effect visible without filters as the last bit of photosphere disappears As the burst of light from the ring fades Baily s beads appear as the last bits of the bright photosphere shine through valleys aligned at the edge of the Moon 6 As the Baily s beads disappear behind the advancing lunar edge the beads also reappear at the end of totality a thin reddish edge called the chromosphere the Greek chrōma meaning color appears Though the reddish hydrogen radiation is most visible to the unaided eye the chromosphere also emits thousands of additional spectral lines 7 Contents 1 Observational history 1 1 Double Diamond Ring Effect 2 In media 3 Gallery 4 References 4 1 Notes 4 2 Citations 5 External linksObservational history edit nbsp Double Diamond Ring Eclipse 2 July 2019 1 Although Baily is often said to have discovered the cause of the feature which bears his name Sir Edmond Halley made the first recorded observations of Baily s beads during the solar eclipse of 3 May 1715 8 Note 1 Halley described and correctly ascertained the cause of the effect 8 in his Observations of the late Total Eclipse of the Sun in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society About two Minutes before the Total Immersion the remaining part of the Sun was reduced to a very fine Horn whose Extremeties seemed to lose their Acuteness and to become round like Stars which Appearance could proceed from no other Cause but the Inequalities of the Moon s Surface there being some elevated parts thereof near the Moon s Southern Pole by whose Interposition part of that exceedingly fine Filament of Light was intercepted 8 The term Baily s beads then came into use after Baily described the phenomenon to the Royal Astronomical Society in December 1836 Having observed the solar eclipse of 15 May 1836 from Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders he reported that when the cusps of the sun were about 40 degrees asunder a row of lucid points like a string of beads irregular in size and distance from each other suddenly formed around that part of the circumference of the moon that was about to enter on the sun s disc 9 Double Diamond Ring Effect edit Before the diamond ring effect during a total solar eclipse a sequence of small bits of sunlight known as Baily s Beads can be observed These beads quickly disappear one by one until only one is left By using precise elevation models of the Moon s irregular surface it is now possible to predict where Baily s Beads will converge to create the double diamond ring effect instead of just one bead A map of the path taken by this effect was created and used to determine the cities along the path of totality during the April 8th 2024 total solar eclipse 10 nbsp Image taken during the April 8th 2024 Total Solar Eclipse from the campus of Arkansas State Univeristy Jonesboro ArkansasIn media editIn 1735 painter and architect Cosmas Damian Asam completed a painting that is probably the earliest known work that realistically depicts a total solar eclipse and diamond ring 11 The Diamond Ring effect is seen during the credit opening sequence of Star Trek Voyager 1995 2001 albeit from a fictitious extrasolar body as seen from space citation needed The Baily s beads phenomenon is seen during the credit opening sequence of the NBC TV show Heroes 2006 2010 citation needed Gallery edit nbsp Diamond ring effect visible during the total solar eclipse of August 21 2017 in Ravenna Nebraska The diffraction spikes emanating tangentially from the diamond are an artifact of the camera optics not a natural phenomenon source source source source source source The diamond ring effect during the solar eclipse of March 29 2006 as seen from Kamyzyak Russia nbsp The diamond ring effect as totality ends during the total solar eclipse of August 21 2017 in central Wyoming The rainbow coloration is a lens flare and not a natural phenomenon nbsp Post totality diamond ring effect visible during the total solar eclipse of April 8 2024 in Montreal Quebec viewed from Lower Field at McGill University References editNotes edit Great Britain did not adopt the Gregorian calendar until 1752 so at the time of the eclipse the date was recorded as 22 April 1715 Citations edit a b Staff 27 December 2023 Searching for the Double Diamond Ring PhotoEphemeris com Archived from the original on 30 December 2023 Retrieved 30 December 2023 Baily 1836 I On a remarkable phenomenon that occurs in total and annular eclipses of the sun Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 4 2 15 19 doi 10 1093 mnras 4 2 15 Littmann Mark Willcox Ken Espenak Fred 1999 Totality Eclipses of the Sun Oxford University Press pp 65 66 ISBN 978 0 19 513179 6 O Staiger The Experience of Totality Solar Eclipse Observing The Diamond Ring and Baily s Beads Pasachoff J M amp Covington M The Cambridge Eclipse Photography Guide Cambridge Univ Press 1993 page needed Pasachoff Jay M 2009 Solar eclipses as an astrophysical laboratory Nature 459 7248 789 795 Bibcode 2009Natur 459 789P doi 10 1038 nature07987 PMID 19516332 S2CID 205216683 a b c Pasachoff Jay M 1999 Halley and his maps of the Total Eclipses of 1715 and 1724 Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage 2 1 39 Bibcode 1999JAHH 2 39P doi 10 3724 SP J 1440 2807 1999 01 04 Baily 1836 I On a remarkable phenomenon that occurs in total and annular eclipses of the sun Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 4 2 15 19 doi 10 1093 mnras 4 2 15 Finding the Double Diamond Ring https www greatamericaneclipse com double diamond ring Nemiroff R Bonnell J eds 2008 01 28 A Solar Eclipse Painting from the 1700s Astronomy Picture of the Day NASA External links edit What to See During an Eclipse Continued Exploratorium 2009 06 22 Joseph B Gurman 2005 04 14 Total Solar Eclipse of 1998 February 26 Goddard Space Flight Center Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Baily 27s beads amp oldid 1221146715, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
