Why total eclipses go dark so fast

Transcript

A total solar eclipse begins when the Moon slips directly between the Sun and Earth, blocking the Sun’s light and casting a shadow on our planet. Inside the narrow path of totality, the sky dims to dusk, because the Moon completely covers the Sun’s bright face. With the glare gone, the Sun’s corona appears as a pale halo, visible only for those brief moments of totality. Outside that narrow shadow, observers see only a partial eclipse, and the day stays bright.