Wild eclipse shadows

Posted by Art Sands on Mon, 08/21/17 23:00
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Comments by Art Sands on Mon, 08/21/17 23:05

iPhone - shadows from trees on a sidewalk at the max eclipse time in
Denver(~11:30-~90% occlusion)

Would like to know what caused this interesting phenomena.


Comments by Harry Liston on Mon, 08/21/17 23:31

Yes, I noticed the freaky alien planet shadows here too, even when too far north to get the full effect. Maybe the sun's light diffracts more when coming from a smaller source? No wonder our ancestors attributed eclipses to strange mystical powers!


Comments by Art Sands on Tue, 08/22/17 12:11

I guess we are not crazy Harry :-)

Article in AJC.com

"While people were gazing upward to witness Monday’s spectacular solar
eclipse, shadows on the ground were just as fascinating. Some of them
even looked like crescents.

According to World Book, in the minute or two before and after the sun
is totally blocked, people may notice thin stripes of dark and light
shadows moving rapidly, as if in waves.

They are called shadow bands or snake bands. Scientists are unsure
what causes it, but it is the same phenomenon that causes stars to
twinkle, World Book reported."


Comments by Art Sands on Tue, 08/22/17 12:19

Shadows bands

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/the-filter/10-strange-things-happen-
eclipse/

"Shadow bands are thin, wavy lines that flash on plain-coloured
surfaces, caused by the combination of the sun turning into a thin
crescent and the undulating atmosphere as the light is beamed down to
earth. This fleeting moment only occurs just before and after a total
eclipse, so we won't be lucky enough to glimpse them here in Blighty."



Comments by Jan Bjorklund on Tue, 08/22/17 12:37

The undulating feel of a snake moving across the ground. Very strange effect indeed which I would think most people missed gazing skyward at the total eclipse.


Comments by Art Sands on Tue, 08/22/17 13:10

Jan -I just happened to notice these shadows walking back from an open
sunny area.

Another wild bunch of shadows - this was the ground.


Comments by Art Sands on Tue, 08/22/17 13:10


Comments by Sandi MacDonald on Sun, 08/27/17 18:09

That is really cool.;-)


Comments by Paul Bracey on Tue, 08/29/17 23:49

Researcher J.L. Codona described them thusly in a 1991 article in
Sky and Telescope:

“[The bands resemble] mysterious gray ripples are sometimes seen
flitting over the ground within a minute or two of totality. The
bands are initially faint and jumbled; but as totality approaches,
they become more organized, their spacing decreases to a few
centimeters, and their visibility improves. After totality ends
the bands can reappear and become progressively fainter and more
disorganized until they disappear. Shadow bands seem to move
perpendicularly to their length, but this is only an illusion. It
stems from a lack of features that allow the eye to track motion
along the length of the bands.”


Comments by Art Sands on Sun, 11/05/17 18:59

Excellent comment Paul.


Comments by Paul Bracey on Mon, 11/06/17 01:43

Thanks Art - didn't experience that myself being preoccupied and all.
http://photocritique.net/g/s?zzJPmn-pPAUL+BRACEY