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With totality just days away, get ready to witness some truly spectacular sights. Learn about the top five things to look for during the eclipse, from planets appearing in the daytime sky to the incredible 360-degree sunset on the horizon.
Transcript
00:00It's two days to totality. Most people think a total solar eclipse is just the sun disappearing,
00:05but that's only the beginning. With just two days to go, here are five incredible things to look out
00:11for during totality. Just seconds before and after totality, tiny beads of sunlight shine
00:17through valleys on the moon's surface. They're called bailey's beads and only last for a brief
00:22moment. As the last slither of sunlight disappears or reappears, you'll see what's known as the
00:29diamond ring effect. This is one of the most photographed moments of the entire eclipse.
00:34This is what I'm most looking forward to. During totality, when the sun is completely obscured by
00:40the moon, it's finally safe to look directly at the eclipse without eclipse glasses. This is your
00:46chance to see the sun's beautiful outer atmosphere, the corona, which is normally completely hidden by
00:52the sun's glare. During totality, the sky may become dark enough for some of the brightest planets and
00:58stars to appear in the middle of the day. During the August 12th eclipse, look to the right of the
01:04sun
01:04and you might see a bright point of light. That's Jupiter. A little further out, but a bit trickier
01:10to spot, is Mercury. Finally, don't spend the entire eclipse staring at the sun, however tempting that may
01:16be. Take a moment to look around you. Daylight fades into an eerie twilight. The horizon glows like a 360
01:25degree sunset. Temperatures can drop. You might even notice animals behaving strangely.
01:31Whether you're watching from an expedition ship like me here with HX Expeditions in Greenland,
01:36the streets of Reykjavik, or beneath the sunset skies of northern Spain, don't spend the whole eclipse
01:42looking through a camera. Take a moment to look around you and experience what's happening.
01:49Two days to go. I can't believe it's almost here.
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