<p>Eclipses are not all exactly alike for a variety of reasons, largely because the corona is an active system and strongly influenced by what the sun's magnetic field is doing at any given time.</p>
<p>Looking at photos of the 2017 versus 2024 eclipse, it does seem to me that the 2017 eclipse had three distinct lobes or rays to the corona, where the 2024 eclipse has a somewhat smaller and more even corona. (I will add a disclaimer here to point out that photos of the same event can vary wildly depending on the photographer's camera settings.)</p>
<p>If that's what you're referring to, I don't think it's an optical illusion, it's just that the solar weather is a little different every time.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-04-15T22:12:21.277Z
Thanks very much for that information.  This article has some interesting photos near the end showing views of both the sun and the corona from August 21, 2017 and April 8, 2024. The photos show more solar activity currently. but if anything that greater solar activity to my untrained eye seemed to translate into a less dynamic corona as seen from earth -- https://ca.news.yahoo.com/solar-flare-did-see-during-231839993.html
RodneyS
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-04-16T03:00:15.717Z
@Rodney Are you saying that the 2024 corona looked fairly static, but that there was significant motion visible in the 2017 corona?
PM 2Ring
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-04-16T13:03:19.800Z
Yes, the 2024 corona looked the same to me throughout totality, whereas the 2017 corona seemed to change throughout totality.
RodneyS
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-04-17T02:34:00.280Z
The top photo in the attached article captures pretty well what I recall seeing on August 21, 2017: https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/ames/how-scientists-predicted-coronas-appearance-during-aug-21-2017-total-solar-eclipse
RodneyS
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-04-15T20:23:46.227Z
2024-04-15T20:23:46.227Z
Darth Pseudonym
<p>It all depends on the solar activity. Technically, we are actually now pretty much at the maximum of the 11 year acticity cycle. In 2017 we were about at the minimum. Usually you would expect a larger and more structured corona near maximum, but earlier this month we had actually quite a low activity, as indicated by the <a href="https://www.met.gov.my/data/bsapa/dailysunspot.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">sunspot numbers</a> . This has led to a much smaller corona than expected on the basis of the general activity cycle (I was surprised myself when I saw it on TV). If you look at the sunspot numbers table again, you can see that in the past week the activity has significantly picked up again, with the sunspot number now being about twice of that a week ago. So now you would probably see a much different corona.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-04-15T21:37:07.210Z
2024-04-15T21:37:07.210Z
Thomas
<p>I am not an astronomer, but witnessed the last two US total solar eclipses -- the first from a farm in Hopkinsville, Kentucky on August 21, 2017, and the second last Monday from Klyde Warren Park in Dallas, Texas. Following the first one, I posted the following message on Facebook: &quot;Resolution of my smartphone is woefully inadequate to capture the view our group had of the moon fully eclipsing the sun for 2 minutes and 40 seconds, with the sun's corona flaring out from behind the moon. Truly awesome!&quot;</p>
<p>I did not witness anything similar last Monday, and am now wondering if what I saw in Hopkinsville was an optical illusion. To be more explicit, what I saw last Monday was the sun's corona appearing to encircle the moon with a steady white light. On August 21, 2017 in Hopkinsville, what I (thought I) saw was the corona appearing to protrude in at least one direction from that circle of white light, as if there was a large flare or two.</p>
<p>Can anyone assist in explaining what I saw on August 21, 2017?  Thanks.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-04-15T18:41:52.693Z
Can you describe the visual effect you saw in 2017 that you did not see in 2024?  I'm not sure what you mean by "flaring out". (I was just about an hour south of you last week, so I imagine we saw about the same thing.)
Darth Pseudonym
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-04-15T19:00:32.197Z
Thanks for your prompt response.  What I saw last Monday was the sun's corona appearing to encircle the moon with a steady white light.  On August 21, 2017 in Hopkinsville, what I (thought I) saw was the corona appearing to protrude in at least one direction from that circle of white light, as if there was a large flare or two. The visual effect was an A+, whereas what I saw last Monday by comparison was an A-.
RodneyS
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-04-15T19:01:48.807Z
If you don't mind, please edit your question to include that information.  Thanks!
Darth Pseudonym
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-04-16T02:05:53.150Z
There are a lot of photos of both.  If you can't find a photo that depicts what you saw, the most logical conclusion is it probably didn't happen.
Greg Miller
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-04-16T02:41:47.493Z
I will see if I can find such a photo of the August 21, 2017 event, but am not sure how easy it will be. Hopefully, someone here might recall something similar and have such a photo or know where one can be found. I did just hear from an acquaintance who was in my tour group on that day in Hopkinsville. She told me that she saw the April 8, 2024 event in Erie, PA and stated that it was not as "spectacular" (her word, not mine). However, she seemed unable to recall specifics of the earlier event.
RodneyS
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-04-22T15:38:28.990Z
FYI, I just heard again from my acquaintance as follows:  "Hi Rodney, I am glad you brought your observations to my attention. I too thought the [August 21, 2017] corona was different. More flaring like you say and a brighter more pure white light."  However, I have checked a number of newspaper articles from August 22, 2017, and cannot find any mention of the corona seeming to flare out from behind the moon during that earlier eclipse.  Could that be because what she and I observed was restricted to the Hopkinsville, Kentucky area; for example an atmospheric phenomenon there during totality?
RodneyS
<the-sun><corona>
Is It Possible to See the Sun's Corona Appearing to Flare Out From Behind the Moon During a Total Solar Eclipse?
RodneyS
# Is It Possible to See the Sun's Corona Appearing to Flare Out From Behind the Moon During a Total Solar Eclipse?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-04-15)

I am not an astronomer, but witnessed the last two US total solar eclipses -- the first from a farm in Hopkinsville, Kentucky on August 21, 2017, and the second last Monday from Klyde Warren Park in Dallas, Texas. Following the first one, I posted the following message on Facebook: "Resolution of my smartphone is woefully inadequate to capture the view our group had of the moon fully eclipsing the sun for 2 minutes and 40 seconds, with the sun's corona flaring out from behind the moon. Truly awesome!"

I did not witness anything similar last Monday, and am now wondering if what I saw in Hopkinsville was an optical illusion. To be more explicit, what I saw last Monday was the sun's corona appearing to encircle the moon with a steady white light. On August 21, 2017 in Hopkinsville, what I (thought I) saw was the corona appearing to protrude in at least one direction from that circle of white light, as if there was a large flare or two.

Can anyone assist in explaining what I saw on August 21, 2017? Thanks.

**Tags:** the-sun, corona
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Can you describe the visual effect you saw in 2017 that you did not see in 2024?  I'm not sure what you mean by "flaring out". (I was just about an hour south of you last week, so I imagine we saw about the same thing.)  
> **username_0**: Thanks for your prompt response.  What I saw last Monday was the sun's corona appearing to encircle the moon with a steady white light.  On August 21, 2017 in Hopkinsville, what I (thought I) saw was the corona appearing to protrude in at least one direction from that circle of white light, as if there was a large flare or two. The visual effect was an A+, whereas what I saw last Monday by comparison was an A-.  
> **username_1**: If you don't mind, please edit your question to include that information.  Thanks!  
> **username_2**: There are a lot of photos of both.  If you can't find a photo that depicts what you saw, the most logical conclusion is it probably didn't happen.  
> **username_0**: I will see if I can find such a photo of the August 21, 2017 event, but am not sure how easy it will be. Hopefully, someone here might recall something similar and have such a photo or know where one can be found. I did just hear from an acquaintance who was in my tour group on that day in Hopkinsville. She told me that she saw the April 8, 2024 event in Erie, PA and stated that it was not as "spectacular" (her word, not mine). However, she seemed unable to recall specifics of the earlier event.  
> **username_0**: FYI, I just heard again from my acquaintance as follows:  "Hi Rodney, I am glad you brought your observations to my attention. I too thought the [August 21, 2017] corona was different. More flaring like you say and a brighter more pure white light."  However, I have checked a number of newspaper articles from August 22, 2017, and cannot find any mention of the corona seeming to flare out from behind the moon during that earlier eclipse.  Could that be because what she and I observed was restricted to the Hopkinsville, Kentucky area; for example an atmospheric phenomenon there during totality?  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2024-04-15. Score: 2

Eclipses are not all exactly alike for a variety of reasons, largely because the corona is an active system and strongly influenced by what the sun's magnetic field is doing at any given time.

Looking at photos of the 2017 versus 2024 eclipse, it does seem to me that the 2017 eclipse had three distinct lobes or rays to the corona, where the 2024 eclipse has a somewhat smaller and more even corona. (I will add a disclaimer here to point out that photos of the same event can vary wildly depending on the photographer's camera settings.)

If that's what you're referring to, I don't think it's an optical illusion, it's just that the solar weather is a little different every time.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks very much for that information.  This article has some interesting photos near the end showing views of both the sun and the corona from August 21, 2017 and April 8, 2024. The photos show more solar activity currently. but if anything that greater solar activity to my untrained eye seemed to translate into a less dynamic corona as seen from earth -- https://ca.news.yahoo.com/solar-flare-did-see-during-231839993.html  
> **username_3**: @Rodney Are you saying that the 2024 corona looked fairly static, but that there was significant motion visible in the 2017 corona?  
> **username_0**: Yes, the 2024 corona looked the same to me throughout totality, whereas the 2017 corona seemed to change throughout totality.  
> **username_0**: The top photo in the attached article captures pretty well what I recall seeing on August 21, 2017: https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/ames/how-scientists-predicted-coronas-appearance-during-aug-21-2017-total-solar-eclipse  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2024-04-15. Score: 2

It all depends on the solar activity. Technically, we are actually now pretty much at the maximum of the 11 year acticity cycle. In 2017 we were about at the minimum. Usually you would expect a larger and more structured corona near maximum, but earlier this month we had actually quite a low activity, as indicated by the [sunspot numbers](https://www.met.gov.my/data/bsapa/dailysunspot.pdf) . This has led to a much smaller corona than expected on the basis of the general activity cycle (I was surprised myself when I saw it on TV). If you look at the sunspot numbers table again, you can see that in the past week the activity has significantly picked up again, with the sunspot number now being about twice of that a week ago. So now you would probably see a much different corona.


---

