It looks as if someone had covered the ground with little moons, but in reality we’re seeing the Sun hundreds of times. 🌙☀️ During a solar eclipse, the spaces between the leaves of trees can act as tiny cameras and project the shape of the Sun at that moment onto the ground, a wall, or any surface.
This phenomenon is known as the Pinhole Effect. On a normal day, these small openings let light through and create the typical bright spots we see beneath trees. But when the Moon partially covers the Sun, each gap reproduces its new silhouette, and dozens of crescents appear.
The most curious thing is that you don’t need any instrument to observe the effect. You can even interlace your fingers, leaving small gaps between them, and project those same shapes onto a surface.
So the next time there’s an eclipse, you may not have to look up to find one of its most incredible effects: just look for the shadow of a tree.