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A phenomenon seen immediately before or after totality in a solar eclipse, when sunlight shines through valleys along the Moon's limb. The appearance is like a curved string of pearls. It is named after F. Baily, who described the effect following an annular eclipse in 1836. One bead can on occasion appear very much brighter than the others, giving the effect known as a diamond ring.
From: Baily's beads in A Dictionary of Astronomy »
Subjects: Astronomy and Astrophysics.
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