If you've ever left home and taken any pieces of green or red clothing, you've chosen the best shades to see the eclipse. During the phenomenon you can also watch the Purkinje effect which is related to how the eye eventually detects the colors around it.
© Shutterstock
12/08/2026
by
Pthe truth is that there were better shades of clothing to watch during the event. This is the fact that during the period when the sun is covered by the moon, you can see the one known as the Purkinje effect. It is about how the eye detects the colors, something that may be different with the light changes felt during the eclipse.
CNN explains that this phenomenon makes colors look different depending on the amount present. It was discovered by Jan Evangelista Purkyně when he observed that the red flowers became more intense in sunny days and that they were darker at night.
Eclipse. Wear green or red clothes. That's why
This way, they tell that the red tones get darker, almost black in low light conditions, and that the green and the blue get brighter. This phenomenon may be easier to watch during an eclipse, such as Wednesday.
Read Also: Eclipse. Did you get your glasses dirty? Learn how to clean them without spoiling
The Purkinje effect unfolds slowly as the day darkens what gives time to the eyes and the brain to adapt to change. Something more sudden happens in an eclipse which will make the contrast more noticeable.
“What we are seeing with the Purkinje effect is not really happening. It's just the way our eyes and brains interpret light” began by telling Will Snyder of Planetarium James S. McDonnell to CNN.
What is the Purkinje effect?
“ As we enter the whole phase, with the sky getting dark, our eyes do not have time to keep up with these changes. So one of the consequences is that red things tend to look much more opaque compared to blue or green objects.”
You can follow this phenomenon even if the eclipse is not 100%. The light will be reduced in any way and faster than at another time, so the effect will be identical.
In order to detect the Purkinje effect phenomenon, you must remove the protective glasses used to see the eclipse. “The Purkinje effect is visible if you look at the objects around you during occlusion, not at the sun” said ophthalmologist Grady Rylander.
In order to better observe this phenomenon, Will Snyder suggests using green or red pieces. They are the most ideal to see a stronger contrast as the eclipse progresses. If you try to capture this effect with a camera, it's something you won't be able to do since it results from the way the human eye interprets light.
“What makes total solar eclipses so exciting is relative rarity and all the incredible associated phenomena. You can simply add this effect to the list of reasons why eclipses are fascinating,” continues Will Snyder.