Eclipse Shadow Cone Over Patagonia
Sometimes, during a
total eclipse of the Sun, a
strange shadow of darkness
can be seen stretching off into the distance.
Called shadow cones, they are visible because the
Earth's atmosphere is not completely transparent,
scattering sunlight and hence
appearing blue during the day.
Shadow cones are
particularly dramatic for
eclipses near the horizon,
as geometry creates a
long corridor of sun-blocked air.
Visible above is a shadow cone
caught during a sunset
total solar eclipse
visible last month from
Patagonia,
Argentina.
The eclipsed Sun
itself still appears bright around the edges of the Moon because of light from the
surrounding corona.
A few minutes later, the
Moon began to move away from the Sun as both set behind distant
Andes mountains.
