The onset of totality is announced by the arrival from the west of a huge, onrushing shadow, a wall of darkness that bears down at more than 2,000 kilometres an hour. At this point the moon has covered the solar disc entirely, and the sun-gazer can now safely remove the protective glasses he or she has been wearing. Meanwhile the planets and other stars will have become visible, and there will be innumerable distractions from other eclipse-watchers as they gasp in wonderment and the bats come out and the automatic street lights turn on, all adding to the sense of unreality. Two minutes, and it is over. A brilliant light, the second diamond ring, appears on the moon's rim, and the process goes into reverse.
Totality is over.
The wall of darkness lifts and goes racing away to complete its course on the earth's surface and return to space. The partial phase returns. The light grows gradually brighter. Normal service is resumed, leaving observers dazed and vaguely relieved that, contrary to their unspoken apprehensions, the world has not come to an inglorious end, its star devoured by unfathomable monsters.