When the Moon has nearly blocked out the sun at the last few minutes before the total solar eclipse, you will see some points of light surrounding the edges of the dark Moon. These look like a string of beads wrapped around the edges and are appropriately called Baily's Beads. They are named after the astronomer Francis Baily who first noticed them in the 18th century. These beads only appear for a few brief minutes before the total solar eclipse occurs.
