baily's beads

At the moment of second contact, when totality begins, and of third contact (seen here) when it ends, the Sun's light shines briefly between the mountains on the lunar limb to create this beautiful effect, pictured here from Dundlod, India on 23 October 1995.

Courtesy of Fred Espenak's Eclipse Home Page: sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/eclipse.html.

Inconstant Moon