Bizarre things happen to the environment and animals during a total solar eclipse - here's what to look out for
You might even be able to see stars and planets during totality. According to Space.com, you could spot Venus and Jupiter, depending on where you are in the US, along with stars Sirius and Regulus.
Depending on where you are during totality, it could look like the twilight that comes right after the sunset, or it might get so dark you're not able to read. But it won't be exactly like nighttime, according to Littman and Espenek. Here's what Business Insider's Dave Mosher saw on a flight through a solar eclipse in 2008:
A minute or so before and after totality, you might be able to see a phenomenon called "shadow bands." The ripples of light look almost like the reflection at the bottom of a pool, but they come from the Earth's atmosphere refracting the few rays of sunlight that peek through before and after totality. Here's a video of it in action.
The moon's shadow will be visible in the west, especially if you're on a hill. Littman and Espenek describe the shadow as "the granddaddy of thunderstorms but utterly calm."
If you're nearby wildlife, you might see some animals get anxious. Birds might fall silent during totality, and plants might think it's night and start to close up.
Source: Audubon
You'll be able to see the partial eclipse reflected in the trees. The leaves act as filter, safely projecting the eclipse.
Source: Business Insider
The temperature might feel cooler as the sunlight gets less intense.
The shadows you cast will start to get sharper than they usually are.
About 15 minutes before the eclipse has reached totality, the environment around you will start to change. Colors will fade or take on a blue-ish hue, according to Mark Littman and Fred Espenek, authors of "Totality: The Great American Eclipses of 2017 and 2024."
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