The origin of the bands is still somewhat controversial. The most accepted theory seems to be Codona's (1986): http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1986A%26A...164..415C …
During a total solar eclipse, gradually changing snake-like "shadow bands" may be seen on the ground just before & after totality:pic.twitter.com/o34H8FAMbE
-
-
-
The basic idea seems to be in two parts. (1) For a point light source, low-altitude turbulence will cause refraction, and so ...
-
differential illumination across different parts of the ground. (2) Integrating over a crescent shape we still get that differential illmn.
-
Wish I had a better understanding of (a) why the scale of the bands is centimeters; (b) why integration over a crescent preserves bands, but
-
integration over full disk does not; and (c) what sets the scale for the variation in illumination.
End of conversation
New conversation -
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.