Baily's beads

American  

[bey-leez] / ˈbeɪ liz /

plural noun

1. spots of light that appear to encircle the moon, resembling a string of luminous beads, visible immediately before and after a total eclipse, caused by the sun's light shining between the mountains on the moon's surface.

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Baily's beads British  

/ ˈbeɪlɪz /

plural noun

1. the brilliant points of sunlight that appear briefly around the moon, just before and after a total eclipse

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Baily's beads Scientific  

/ bā′lēz /

1. A discontinuous, beadlike pattern of sunlight visible along the edge of the darkened Moon's disk in the seconds before and after totality during a full solar eclipse. The pattern is caused by light shining through the uneven lunar topography silhouetted along the curved edges of the disk. Baily's beads are named after British astronomer Francis Baily (1774–1844), who first observed them in 1836.

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Etymology

Origin of Baily's beads

Named after Francis Baily (1774–1844), English astronomer who first described them

Example Sentences

Baily’s beads are formed when sunlight shines through the valleys and craters of the Moon’s surface, and are only briefly visible when an eclipse is beginning or ending.

From BBC

Kerry-Ann Lecky Hepburn, one of the judges and a meteorologist, said the winning image was an "impressive dissection of the fleeting few seconds" when Baily's beads can be seen.

From BBC

Ryan Imperio has been named the Royal Observatory Greenwich’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year for a photograph that captures the progression of Baily’s beads during the 2023 annular eclipse.

From BBC

Baily's Beads: As the diamond dissipates, any remaining light sparkles through deep valleys on the Moon's edge.

From BBC

Just before totality, viewers can also spot flashes of light — known as Baily’s beads — along the circumference of the moon.

From Los Angeles Times