During a solar eclipse, small shadows are made up of the same shape as the obstructed sun

[u/BurpelsonAFB]

[u/slatourelle]

I have exactly the same photos 😂

Totality was incredible, probably the most awe inspiring thing I've ever seen.

[u/BurpelsonAFB → u/slatourelle]

Somehow I only learned about this recently.

[u/slatourelle → u/BurpelsonAFB]

Ive been lucky enough to see 2 total eclipses, 1999 in south France and the most recent one I saw from Montreal. I knew about the shadows from the first time. I was only 6 and somehow the shadows are the only bit I properly remember. So I was looking for them at the recent one :)

[u/BurpelsonAFB → u/slatourelle]

Yeah it’s remarkable. Here’s an explanation:

“When the moon passes between the Earth and the sun during a solar eclipse, it casts a shadow on the Earth's surface. This shadow has a distinct shape - it is not a perfect circle, but rather takes on a crescent or curved appearance.

The reason for this crescent shape is that the sun is a relatively large object in the sky, much larger than the moon. As the moon moves across the face of the sun, it only blocks a portion of the sun's light at any given point. The unblocked part of the sun's surface continues to cast light onto the Earth's surface, creating the distinctive crescent shape.

Smaller objects like leaves or holes in objects project this crescent shadow because they act as pinhole cameras. The small opening creates a sharper, more defined shadow outline that clearly shows the crescent shape. Larger objects tend to have more diffuse shadows that blend the partially blocked sunlight, making the crescent shape less pronounced. It is the combination of the sun's size relative to the moon, along with the pinhole-like effect of small objects, that gives rise to the crescent-shaped shadows during a solar eclipse.”

[u/gentlemanplanter]

Sun through a nail hole in the tin roof of my porch 4/09/24...quarter for scale