His observations of "Baily's Beads", during an annular eclipse of the Sun on 15 May 1836, at Inch Bonney in Roxburghshire, started the modern series of eclipse expeditions. The phenomenon, which depends upon the irregular shape of the Moon's limb, was so vividly described by him as to attract an unprecedented amount of attention to the total eclipse of 8 July 1842, observed by Baily himself at Pavia.
His observations of "Baily's Beads", during an annular eclipse of the Sun on 15 May 1836, at Inch Bonney in Roxburghshire, started the modern series of eclipse expeditions. The phenomenon, which depends upon the irregular shape of the Moon's limb, was so vividly ,described by him as to attract an unprecede!nted amount of attention to the total eclipse of 8 July 1842, observe.d by Baily himself at Pavia.