Eclipse Soundscapes Apprentice Training

The maximum phase of the annular eclipse is annularity. Annularity is when the Moon blocks the center of the Sun from view. Eclipses can take hours, but annularity only lasts for less than a minute or as long as twelve minutes. During annularity, the Moon blocks the center of the Sun from view. This makes the Sun look like a “ring of fire.”  In fact, annular eclipses are often called  “Ring of Fire” eclipses. If you want to look at annularity, you MUST protect eyes with special eclipse glasses because all of the Sun’s powerful rays are not blocked.

The maximum phase of the total solar eclipse is totality. Totality is when the Moon blocks the entire Sun. Eclipses can take hours, but totality only lasts 1-7 minutes. With the Moon blocking the entire Sun, you can see the Sun’s bright outer atmosphere called the corona, which is not usually visible. The Sun’s bright corona looks like soft flower petals surrounding the Moon. During Totality is the ONLY brief time that you can look at the Sun without special eclipse glasses because all of the Sun’s powerful rays are completely blocked. 

For both annular and total eclipses, remember to protect your eyes using eclipse glasses or a solar filter. Go to Eclipse Safety Resources for more eclipse safety information and make sure to review the Apprentice Eclipse Safety Lesson too.