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.

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

On April 8, a large swath of the United States will fall in the path of totality for a total solar eclipse. When daylight is temporarily pitched into shadow, certain colors are known to enhance ...