6 things that happen during solar eclipses you probably didn’t know about

During a solar eclipse, the big event involves the moon moving over the sun. But what else happens in the sky, and down here on earth, during this rare astronomical event? Quite a bit, actually. While you’re busy looking up on April 8 (with ISO-certified eclipse glasses for proper eye protection, of course), take note of these other unique occurrences going on around you.

The moon moves fast—like, really fast

Eclipses only last for about two to three minutes, during which the moon completely whizzes by the earth at about 2,200 kilometres an hour, says Nikhil Arora, a postdoctoral fellow in the department of physics, engineering physics, and astronomy at Queen’s University in Kingston. “It’s just gunning,” he says. In fact, during the eclipse, the moon will actually be moving faster than the speed of sound, which is said to travel at around 1,200 kilometres per hour. Neat!

You’ll be able to see stars and planets

“When totality hits, you’ll be able to see around six planets in the sky,” says Arora. While the sky won’t be as dark as it is in the dead of night, it’ll still be dark enough for us to see a number of different celestial bodies. Venus and Jupiter will likely be most visible, while stars such as Sirius, Capella, and Rigel may or may not be visible depending on your location along the eclipse’s path of totality.

During totality, you’ll see the sun’s corona

“The outer atmosphere of the sun is called the corona,” says Jenna Hinds, the executive director at the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. “A total solar eclipse is the only opportunity we have to see the sun’s corona down here on earth. It’s pretty special.” We can’t ordinarily view the corona because the sun is just too bright, says Hinds

Before and after totality, you’ll also experience the “diamond ring” effect

Hinds explains that the phenomenon happens at around 99 per cent totality. “There will be this one tiny spot of the sun’s light that’s left uncovered by the moon. That’s the diamond ring effect.” She adds that only people in the eclipse’s path of totality, or extremely close to it, will be able to view the effect.

The temperature will drop and the air will feel cooler

Think about the sun going down in the evening and the gradual decrease in temperature that occurs simultaneously. When the solar eclipse hits and the moon moves in front of the sun, we’ll experience the same feeling. During the 2001 solar eclipse in Zambia, NASA reported that the temperature there dropped nearly 15°F.

You’ll see rare and inexplicable “shadow bands”

This visual phenomenon usually happens in the moments leading up to and following totality. You’ll see faint, fast-moving, parallel ripples of light moving across the ground. Some call them “shadow snakes,” likely because of the way the bands of light slide and slither around. The effect is similar, in a way, to what water looks like—picture a still lake or pond—after a pebble has been dropped in it. If you do observe shadow bands during the eclipse, count yourself lucky! They won’t be visible everywhere, and scientists say they are difficult for our eyes to catch because they’re so low-contrast.

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