The Moon completely blocks the brilliant surface of the Sun, leaving an almost perfectly black circle suspended against a black sky. Around its edge, the solar corona emerges as a delicate violet-pink halo, giving the image an almost otherworldly quality. What makes the photograph especially compelling are the brighter pink prominences visible along the Moon’s silhouette—loops and eruptions of glowing plasma extending outward from the Sun. Because the rest of the frame is nearly pure darkness, those small bursts of solar activity become incredibly dramatic.

2024 total solar eclipse happened on April 8, 2024. The eclipse crossed Mexico and then the United States from Texas through Maine.

Rarity