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On April 8 , millions of mass across North America looked up to the sky as the lunation temporarily ( and all ) blocked out the sun duringthe total solar eclipse . The historic cosmic event , which was alsoseen from space , was special because of the duration of totality — the period when the sun ’s light source was all obscured — whichlasted up to 4 moment , 28 seconds .
However , several other foreign thing happened during the occultation that helped to further elevate it to a once - in - a - lifetime experience . From mysterious red pane and a newly discoveredsolar systemobject to surprising animal and human doings , here are the six weirdest things that happened during the eclipse .
The solar eclipse subtly reshaped the upper atmosphere, which interfered with radio signals.
Related : Top total solar eclipses to expect out for over the next X
Shifting ‘time signals’
As the lunar month ’s shadow clear across North America , radio operator noticed a small shift in the frequency and wavelength of the signals they were send off and get . These subtle change were alsospotted in signals send out by a regime - run stationin Colorado , which transmits digital time codes to millions of people across the world .
The altered sign were the upshot of changes to the upper atmosphere because of a sudden lack of solar radiation during the eclipse . These changes think that radio set waves which bounced off this part of the atmosphere , had to journey further and became stretched as a issue .
fortuitously , the changes to the time signals being impart did not alter the code embedded within them , meaning that no actual changes to the time we experience occurred .
The solar eclipse subtly reshaped the upper atmosphere, which interfered with radio signals.
Puzzling plasma plumes
During aggregate , thousands of people witnessed peculiar reddish back breaker around the boundary of the sunshine ’s obscure disk . elaborate photos of these dotsrevealed that they were fervent plume of plasm that had seemingly erupted from the sunlight and were towering above our home wiz ’s airfoil .
lot of hoi polloi assumed that these solar blowup were the result of powerful explosions known assolar flare . However , there wereno flares during entireness . Experts afterward excuse that what people were seeing was another phenomenon known as solar prominences . These large plasma structures erupt from the sunlight but remain intact and attached to the solar airfoil for weeks at a time .
Photographers ab initio hoped to photograph solar flare pass during entirety . But in the lead - up to the occultation , the sun entered a surprising lull in solar activity , despite beingnear the peak in the solar Hz . As a solvent , volatile flare werealways lead to be improbable .
The red dots people saw around the sun during totality were plumes of plasma known as solar prominences.
New comet discovered (and destroyed)
One of the biggest surprises during the totalsolar eclipsewas thediscovery of a midget " sungrazer " cometnamed SOHO-5008 , which was first spotted by an unskilled stargazer just 60 minutes before the outcome began .
Scientists immediately predicted that the comet might be seeable to photographers during the eclipse . As suspected , multiple photographers conquer bleary persona of the comet as it raced toward the sun . However , it was not visible to the au naturel eye .
Then , just a few minute after the occultation ended , the fresh name comet appear to be destroyed by the sun as it fix too near to our home star and belike disintegrated .
Researchers discovered a tiny sungrazer comet just hours before the eclipse began.
Animals acting oddly
For humans , the occultation is a exceptional result that we can understand and predict in progress . But for beast , integrality is a massive daze , and this surprise can trip some rather interesting behaviors .
Zoos located along the track of totalitykept a near eye on their brute during the eclipse .
At the Fort Worth Zoo in Texas , lots of animals — include gorilla , tortoises , elephant and bonobos — mistook the darken sky for dusk and go to return to their indoor area , CBS News reported . And at the Indianapolis Zoo , several hiss species start to ensconce down for the dark .
Zoo animals often behave strangely during an eclipse.
At Dallas Zoo , zebras , giraffes and chimp were seen running around or patrolling their enclosures , while flamingo huddled together for safe , all of which are signs of anxiety , according to CBS News . Meanwhile , an ostrich at the same zoological garden laid an egg during totality , although it is unclear if this was because of the eclipse .
Live Science ’s Brandon Specktor also witnessed some strange animal demeanour ashe determine the eclipse livefrom the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton , Ontario , with his folk — and a goose . The waterfowl remain eerily quiet during integrality before break with a loud honk as the Lord’s Day reappeared , which was echoed with chirp from other birds ostensibly " recognize what they may have imagined was a new dawn . "
Massive internet usage drop-off
During totality , human in the path of the lunar month ’s shadow displayed a surprising behavioural change that is becoming progressively rarefied in the modern age : They put down their phones and lay off usingthe internet .
connection inspection and repair and cybersecurity companyCloudflare reportedthat , during the eclipse , internet utilisation across the way of totality flow as people looked up to the sky . Across the U.S. , internet usage throw away by 8 % during the eclipse . However , in certain states — include Vermont , Ohio , New Hampshire , Maine , Indiana and Arkansas , parts of which were in the track of totality — cyberspace usage decreased by at least 40 % during entirety . The biggest drop was seen in Vermont , where online dealings plummeted by 60 % .
Similar decrement were also seen in parts of Mexico and Canada , which were in the itinerary of the eclipse as well , Cloudflare describe .
As the moon’s shadow raced along the path of totality, people got off the internet to look at the sky.
Visible daytime planets
Observing the planets is normally appropriate for nighttime hour and is potential only if you know where to look . But during integrality , eclipse observers have a rare opportunity to spot some of the planet during the 24-hour interval .
Asinitially foretell , JupiterandVenuswere seeable to the au naturel eye during totality . Both look near the sun , although they were not seeable to everyone because of cloud cover .
Planets can be seen during the occultation only if they are near our habitation star in the sky . The drawn-out period of time of totality experienced by most eclipse observers also increased the chances of seeing the planets .
Jupiter and Venus were located close to the sun during totality.
“Baily’s beads” and “diamond rings”
reckon on where you were during total , you also may have seen some eldritch lights around the sun .
caboodle of people reported find multiple points of luminance around the obscured sun . This event , recognise as Baily ’s beads , happens when rays of sunlight shine between spate on the lunation ’s uneven boundary just before and after totality . Others may have pick out a " rhombus hoop , " where a magnanimous , smart point emerges as the moon continues to move farther aside . ( You may have miss these phenomenon completely if you were wearing your occultation glasses at the time . )
Showing impeccable timing , Space.com newsperson Josh Dinner used one of these diamond tintinnabulation topropose to his spouse during totality — and she said yes .
Baily’s beads and “diamond rings” appear as totality ends and the moon starts to move past the sun.
Other weird eclipse stuff
— When is the next full solar occultation after 2024 in North America ?
— How total solar eclipse avail us appraise ancient history
— What should you do with your used solar eclipse glasses ?
portion of otherstrange things happen during an eclipse . You also may have sensed a sudden cooling effect as the Lord’s Day ’s radiotherapy was stuff out by the moon , or started seeing predominantly purple light thanks to acolor - shifting phenomenonknown as the Purkinje effect . You also may haveseen clouds go away overheadas the ground beneath you rapidly cooled .
Even if you pretermit the eclipse , you may stillwatch NASA ’s livestream of the result . And the next entire solar occultation isjust a yoke of years away , in 2026 — if you may make it to Greenland , Iceland or Spain .
