Harnessing the Power of Color: The Purkinje Effect During Monday’s Solar Eclipse

On Monday, a solar eclipse will occur, bringing moments of darkness to those in the path of totality, which extends from Mexico to Canada. The sky will darken suddenly, causing a shift in how colors are perceived. Reds will appear darker while greens will seem brighter, making the presence of these colors quite striking.

While gazing at the sky during the eclipse, scientists recommend wearing red and green together to experience the unique Purkinje effect. This phenomenon was first discovered by Czech anatomist Jan Evangelista Purkyně 200 years ago by observing the different colors of flowers at dawn compared to during the bright afternoon sun. The human eye has receptors called rods and cones located on the retina that are responsible for vision. Rods are active in low light levels, providing no help with colors and low spatial acuity, known as scotopic vision. Cones, on the other hand, are active in bright light, providing high spatial acuity and the ability to see colors, known as photopic vision. Mesopic vision occurs when light levels are in between dark and bright, with both cones and rods active