When looking up the sky, you are amazed that there is a shadow in the sun. In addition, the sight is almost as dark as night. However,

it isn’t the sign of the end of the world.

This is a rare phenomenon, which is called

solar eclipse. The solar eclipse occur when

the New Moon comes between the Sun and Earth. Simultaneously, the moon casts the darkest part of its shadow, the umbra, on Earth. In general, the five primary stages of a solar eclipse formation include: partial eclipse, total eclipse,

totality and maximum eclipse, the end of total eclipse,

as well as the end of partial eclipse end. After the Moon passes

the whole process, a solar eclipse can occur completely.

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In the first stage, partial eclipse begins in which the rim of Moon is exactly tangential to the rim of Sun. To put it differently, the Moon starts becoming visible over the Sun's disk. Thus, the Sun looks as if a bite has been taken from it. During

this stage, and for the next hour and a half, the sky will

begin to darken and diminish as the Moon starts to

make its way across the surface of the Sun. Before the

second phase of the eclipse, undulating lines of light

can be seen, which is called as “shadow bands.”

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    The next stage is total eclipse begins and it happens a few minutes before totality. You may be aware of changes in wildlife around you throughout

this phase. Birds may stop singing as the sky darkens, and

some animals may exhibit changes in eating or sleeping

patterns. Towards the end of this phase, you may observe

the phenomenon of Baily’s Beads. These are distinct balls

of light visible at the edge of the Moon’s circumference.

The formation of Baily’s Beads is the Sun shining through

craters on the surface of the Moon. These beads will flicker

off one by one until a solitary point of light remains. This is known as the Diamond Ring effect. Although this effect lasts a few seconds, it still produces a stunning single burst of light. The totality will occur after the light fade.

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    Totality takes place when the Moon covers the entire surface of the Sun. At this time, the Sun’s corona is only visible. Additionally, the sky darkens further, but not as dark as a typical night. As a result of the shadow, there is a distinct drop in temperature. On the other hand, birds and other wildlife are silent. If the Sun’s solar activity is strong, the corona will blast out from all sides of Moon. On the contrary, it will follow the direction of the Sun’s magnetic path. This stage lasts around two minutes.

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    The fourth stage of the total eclipse end is similar to the first and the second one. However, the Moon is moving away from the Earth. Therefore, the Diamond ring may be observed again. Then, Baily’s beads will reappear. A few minutes later, a thin crescent of the Sun which gradually gets bigger as the Moon moves away. Shadow bands may be observed once again and it will be back to the partial eclipse stage. With the movement of the Moon, the sky starts to lighten and wildlife begins to be more active.

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    Finally, the last stage of the partial eclipse ends. The Moon completely leaves the face of the Sun, and the full disc is visible. At the moment, the last shadow in the Sun disappears. Afterwards, you can see the normal sun as usual.  The sky returns to the brightness and wildlife is more active than before. It seems that the sight didn’t change before.

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    With the movement of the Moon, you can observe different phases of the solar eclipse. Although a solar eclipse occurs for only a few minutes, the phenomenon is stunning and mysterious. The five phases include partial eclipse, total eclipse, totality, the end of total eclipse, as well as the end of partial eclipse. These stages are similar to a magic, which can change the scene in the world. After realizing how a solar eclipse forms, you should seize an opportunity to observe it next time. After all, a solar eclipse is the rare phenomenon that occur in several hundred years.