Dazzling photos show what the rare 'ring of fire' solar eclipse looked like around the world

Rosie Perper

Jun 22, 2020, 4:59 PM

Huang Shan/VCG via Getty ImagesThe annular solar eclipse is seen on June 21, 2020, in Xiamen, Fujian Province of China.

A rare “ring of fire” solar eclipse was visible in certain parts of the world on Sunday.
This year’s solar eclipse took take place in many locations on the same day as the June solstice, which is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. This phenomenon will only occur twice in this century.
Here are some of the most dazzling photos of the annual solar eclipse from around the world.
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A rare “ring of fire” solar eclipse was visible in certain parts of the world on Sunday.

This special event occurs when the moon is at the farthest point from Earth in its orbit and passes between the Earth and the sun. During the annual event, the sun’s outer rim remains visible, creating a shining silhouette.

The celestial sighting was visible in parts of Africa and Asia, though NASA said that people could still be hundreds of miles away from the path of totality – the track of the Moon’s shadow across Earth’s surface – and still enjoy the view.

This year’s solar eclipse took take place in many locations on the same day as the June solstice, which is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. This phenomenon will only occur twice in this century.

Here are some of the most dazzling photos of the annual solar eclipse from around the world.

People of all ages gathered to see the eclipse in Japan.

Kyodo News via Getty ImagesPeople observe a partial solar eclipse in Itami, Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, on June 21, 2020.

Here’s what they saw:

Kyodo News via Getty ImagesThe photo shows a partial solar eclipse seen from Fukui, central Japan, on June 21, 2020.

People in India used x-ray film in order to see the eclipse.

Sameer Sehgal/Hindustan Times via Getty ImagesLocals try to get a glimpse of the solar eclipse through smartphones and an x-ray film, at the Durgiana Temple, on June 21, 2020 in Amritsar, India.

The eclipse started from around 9 a.m. across India.

Sanjeev Kumar/Hindustan Times via Getty ImagesA partial solar eclipse is seen, on June 21, 2020 in Bathinda, India.

And it was visible in India until about 3 p.m.

Sanchit Khanna/Hindustan Times via Getty ImagesFlares of the partially eclipsed sun are seen during the annular solar eclipse, at Akshardham, on June 21, 2020 in New Delhi, India.

The phenomenon was also partially visible in Dubai.

Francois Nel/Getty ImagesA man observes the partial solar eclipse through sunglasses at the Al Thuraya Astronomy Centre on June 21, 2020 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

This photo was taken through a telescope at the Observatory at Al Thuraya Astronomy Centre in Dubai.

Francois Nel/Getty Images

Special glasses were used in Indonesia.

Fachrul Reza/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesA man is seen observing a partial solar eclipse on June 21, 2020, in Aceh Province, Indonesia.

And here was the view:

Fachrul Reza/NurPhoto via Getty Images

In China, people used zoom camera lenses in order to protect their eyes.

Lintao Zhang/Getty ImagesA man uses a camera to see the solar eclipse at Olympic Park on June 21, 2020, in Beijing, China.

The sun’s outer rim can be seen here, creating a glowing ring.