As a solar eclipse approaches totality and our eyes adjust to dimming light, our color vision changes. It’s called the Purkinje effect.

In and around totality — the brief moments during a total solar eclipse when the moon fully hides the sun — the sudden shift from light to darkness can profoundly change color perception.

In and around totality—the brief moments during a total solar eclipse when the moon fully hides the sun—the sudden shift from light to darkness can profoundly change color perception.

If you are in the path of totality for the solar eclipse on Monday, April 8, dress in shades of red and green, and this isn't just to look good. When wearing these colors a unique effect occurs ...

Eclipses change the light around us, leading to unusual sights. Monday's solar eclipse also brings a chance to see crescent shapes in shadows and pinholes, as the moon moves in front of the sun.

Eclipse map: What will tomorrow's solar eclipse look like from your state? Our perception of this color transformation arises from the specific anatomy of our eyes.