To be honest, I hadn’t heard of the solar eclipse diamond ring before the 2024 eclipse. I guess I wasn’t paying enough attention to media coverage.

So, as I watched the solar eclipse from our vantage point in southeast Missouri, near West Plains, I didn’t know to look for the diamond. Once the moon completely covered the sun, I took off my eclipse glasses. (It’s safe to do so during totality.) Then, as the first rays of sunshine peeked out as the moon passed out of totality, I quickly looked away.

What is the Solar Eclipse Diamond Ring?

After the event, folks began posting photos on social media. That’s when I learned about the diamond ring. It occurs in the seconds just after totality. The bright flash of sun peeks out from behind the moon. That flash, together with the ring of sun around the moon, resembles a diamond ring.

I looked back at the photos in the article I wrote following the 2017 solar eclipse in southern Illinois. Sure enough, I captured the “diamond ring” back then. I just never thought of it that way.

So, I had my fingers crossed our video would include the diamond ring, as well. I wouldn’t know, though, until we returned home and processed our footage.

Videoing the 2024 Solar Eclipse

We filmed the eclipse for about an hour, beginning when the moon started to cover the sun. Our filming continued until the moon was almost completely past the sun.

In our editing, we realized the most interesting part was the diamond ring reveal. So, we didn’t include the entire time lapse. Instead, we begin when the eclipse is in totality and end with the diamond ring reveal.

Enjoy!