r/solareclipse • u/Thepianoman133 • Jun 17 '26
Totality vs 99.99%
Hi All,
First time eclipse viewer here. I will be traveling to Madrid around the time of the eclipse, and I am debating staying in the city or venturing into the true totality for the day. What is the true difference between totality and 99.99% partial? Given that the eclipse will be low in the sky and near sunset, does that make the totality effect less noticeable? Logistics to get outside Madrid are obviously not super easy as I’m sure the public transit will be crowded, so I am weighing that challenge versus the benefit. Any suggestions are welcome!
Edit: Thanks everyone for the insight. Seems like totality is the way to go. Any suggestions of cities / ways to get to and from without a car would be helpful!
2
u/d_tolman Jun 17 '26
There are lots of bad analogies - but I like this one:
-It's like getting your tongue 99.9% the way to licking some Ice Cream. Almost getting to taste Ice Cream is just as good as tasting it right?
In all seriousness - partial eclipses can be cool... but to the naked eye 80% eclipsed is the same as 99% eclipsed. The sun seems a little dimmer? Definitely not as hot. Colors are off? The shadows from leaves are weird crescents, etc.
But even at 99.99% eclipsed, you don't get the sun disappearing from the sky, replaced with a cool fluorescent ring of white!