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Paper: Qualitative Shadow Band Observations from Three Sites in the Southeast
Volume: 516, Celebrating the 2017 Great American Eclipse: Lessons Learned from the Path of Totality
Page: 437
Authors: Telepun, G.; Gallagher, D.; Adams, M.; Stahl, H. P.
Abstract: Shadow bands were successfully videotaped at three observation sites within a 176-mile region of the umbral path in Kentucky and Tennessee. At each site, the direction of the path of totality and north were marked on a background for the video (a sheet). Elongated shadows were observed to be in parallel rows at each site, but the movement of the parallel rows of shadows was different at each site. There are many potential explanations for shadow bands, including atmospheric scintillation and refraction. We theorize that the cause of the different movement of the parallel lines of shadow bands at each site is due to variations introduced by atmospheric effects since the umbral path direction, the orientation of the crescent and the small azimuth change of the Sun at the sites cannot explain what was documented.
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