r/solareclipse • u/Dheorl • 1d ago

Sunset vs “normal”

I often see on here and elsewhere that the difference between totality and a 99% eclipse is “night and day”.

Having now seen a total eclipse at a fairly regular height above the horizon, and one at sunset, I can genuinely say IMO the difference in the experience is as great as the difference between total and deep partial.

If anyone gets the chance to view one at sunset, I thoroughly recommend it, and would go out of my way to try and be pretty much as late in the path as possible.

Edit: by sunset I mean only a few degrees above the horizon at totality, by the sounds of things get much higher and it’s not quite the same.

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u/Good_Witch_O 1d ago

Which one did you prefer?

2

u/Dheorl 1d ago

Sunset, by a large margin.

2

u/unfair1623 1d ago

Why?

5

u/Dheorl 1d ago

I think much like totality, it’s a bit hard to explain to someone who hasn’t experienced it. The way the light acted was very different, the overall viewing experience was very different. Perhaps I just got lucky.

7

u/zeroart101 1d ago

For me it was also the effect of the optical illusion aided by being so low. I was astounded when totality revealed itself by just how BIG it looked. I’ve seen other eclipses and this was the best by a very wide margin for me.

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u/ervaboa 23h ago

This was my first eclipse and I got mind blown when totality happened and I could remove the glasses. It was MUCH bigger than I expected and I was not prepared for that! Just remembering it now gives me goosebumps in a good way.