What is Baily's beads?

Baily’s beads are little bright spots that appear during a solar eclipse, like when you shine light through tiny holes in a curtain.

Imagine you’re playing with your toys and there's a big curtain between you and the lamp. The curtain has lots of small holes in it, just like the Moon has craters on its surface. When the Moon passes in front of the Sun, those craters let some light through, and that’s when Baily’s beads appear! They look like little bright circles or dots around the edge of the Moon.

During a total solar eclipse, the Moon completely covers the Sun, making it dark for a moment. But if there are tiny hills or bumps on the Moon's surface, they act like little windows, letting some light through. These spots look like beads of light, and that’s why we call them Baily’s beads!

It's kind of like when you shine a flashlight through a piece of lace, you can see little bright shapes on the wall. That’s what happens with Baily’s beads, but instead of lace, it’s the Moon, and instead of a flashlight, it’s the Sun!