Totality is the brief moment during a solar eclipse when the sun is completely covered by the moon's disc. It typically lasts just a few minutes. The moon makes multiple contacts with the sun during an eclipse. First contact is when the solar limb begins to darken as the moon passes in front. Second contact is when the edge of the moon slides over the sun and plunges the world into darkness. It is totality. Third contact is when totality ends and the moon begins to slip away and four contact is when it finally stops covering any portion of the solar disc. I captured this shot in between C3 and C4. It clearly shows a huge solar flare that forms a loop or arch and is evident in the majority of the eclipse photographs. This image was recognized as a "top pick" at AstroBin.com, meaning it just fell shy of making "image of the day."

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