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Subsuns and rainbows during solar eclipses

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Abstract

A photographic observation sequence was obtained of a subsun before, during, and after the total phase of the 2016 solar eclipse. The time-resolved images were obtained from a high-altitude jet aircraft. The image sequence was searched for the possible presence of a solar corona-generated subsun during totality. Although the subsun-creating conditions apparently persisted during totality, the drop in signal intensity compared to the local background prevented its detection. Separately, we document a visual observation from the 1977 total solar eclipse of a rainbow that faded, in the last a few seconds before totality, from being normally multicolored to monochromatic red from water drops then predominantly illuminated by light from the solar chromosphere. A similar transition in the final seconds before, and after, totality is expected to occur for parhelia. The posited short-living monochromatic red parhelion resulting from the momentary illumination of ice crystals by the solar chromosphere is still waiting to be observed.

© 2020 Optical Society of America

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Supplementary Material (1)

NameDescription
Visualization 1       Time lapse movie of the 2016 total eclipse of the Sun, observed from a high-flying aircraft. Straight below the Sun a subsun is apparent, which disappeared a few seconds before the totality and reappeared a few seconds before totality ended.

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