Diamonds in the Sky

When the dark shadow of the Moon raced across North America on April 8, sky watchers along the shadows narrow central path were treated to a total solar eclipse. During the New Moons shadow play diamonds glistened twice in the eclipse-darkened skies. The transient celestial jewels appeared immediately before and after the total eclipse phase. Thats when the rays of a vanishing and then emerging sliver of solar disk are just visible behind the silhouetted Moons edge, creating the appearance of a shiny diamond set in a dark ring. This dramatic timelapse composite from north-central Arkansas captures both diamond ring moments of this total solar eclipse. The diamond rings are separated by the ethereal beauty of the solar corona visible during totality.