MarkB
Legend
Well, generally speaking, solar eclipses don't affect the whole world - that's why people fly thousands of miles to see one.To toss out another idea.
The ritual isn't complete until the eclipse ends.
And it doesn't end until the wizard dies (noticeable with DC 20 arcane check).
Meanwhile, the whole world is slowly freezing (ticking clock)
But hey, fantasy world, maybe these ones do.